Modification and Applications of Hydrophilic Polypropylene Membrane

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most important polymers for microporous membrane due to its high void volume, well-controlled porosity, high thermal and chemical stability, and low cost. However, the hydrophobicity of PP becomes a limitation to broaden its applications. Furthermore, membrane fouling occurs more seriously on hydrophobic membranes than hydrophilic ones. To solve this problem, surface modifications have been developed to enhance PP membrane hydrophilicity without changing its bulk properties. Graft polymerization and plasma treatment are the most popular techniques for surface hydrophilization. Some studies showed that highly hydrophilic PP membranes with water contact angle less than 20° could be obtained by plasma treatment and graft polymerization. Furthermore, during plasma treatment, polar groups were formed on the PP membrane surface thus increased water uptake. To bring brief explanation on various research trends for PP modification, this paper provides a review of surface hydrophilization of microporous PP membrane, including plasma treatment and graft polymerization. The effects of surface modification on PP membrane performance such as porosity, water contact angle, and water flux are also discussed. In addition, the applications of modified PP membrane are presented as well.