Preparation and characterization of polysulfone/PEG heterogeneous ion exchange membrane for reverse electrodialysis (RED)

Abstract

Heterogeneous cation-exchange membrane is synthesized using solution casting method. The casting solution is prepared by dispersing finely ground cation-exchange resin particles in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solutions of polysulfone (PSf) while polyethylene glycol (PEG400) is used as a modifier. The results show that the PEG400 can increase water uptake, conductivity, and ion-exchange capacity (IEC) of the heterogeneous cation-exchange membrane due to the hydrophilic nature of PEG400. The more hydrophilic membrane results in higher water uptake and wider access for functional sites. However, when the concentration of PEG400 is increased further, the IEC and conductivity tend to decrease. This tendency is more pronounced when the ion-exchange resin particle is increased from 50 to 60%-wt. It could be attributed to the washed out of some ion-exchange particle during membrane immersion due to lower bonding between membrane matrix and the particles.