Synthesis of PVDF ultrafiltration membranes supported on polyester fabrics for separation of organic matter from water

Abstract

Polyvinylidene flouride (PVDF) membranes supported on non-woven fabrics (NWF) of polyester are reported. The PVDF membranes were fabricated using the phase inversion method followed by modification of the active top layer of the PVDF thin film by adding polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) into the cast solution. A PVDF resin was used with N- methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. Sessile drop contact angle measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the physical properties of the membranes. Membrane rejection of humic acid was studied using a cross-flow membrane testing unit. The contact angle results revealed that the hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes increased as the PVP concentration was increased from 3 to 10 wt%. SEM analysis of the membranes revealed that the membrane pore sizes increased when PVP was added. AFM analysis also showed that membrane roughness changed when PVP was added. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis of water samples spiked with humic acid was performed to test the rejection capacity of the membranes. Rejections of up to 97% were achieved for PVDF membranes supported on polyester NWF1, which had smaller thickness and higher permeability compared to polyester NWF2. The NWFs provided the high strength required for the membranes despite the modifications done on the PDVF surface and microstructure.