Abstract
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane is widely used in water purification and wastewater treatment. In present paper, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) was employed, and maleic acid dibutyl ester (DBM), a new diluent, was introduced for PVDF membrane preparation. Phase diagram and the effects of polymer concentration and quenching temperature on the structure, morphologies, properties, and performances of PVDF membranes were investigated. During the quenching process of PVDF/DBM system, liquid-liquid phase separation happened, and PVDF membranes with a bi-continuous structure were fabricated. What is interesting is that the liquid-liquid phase separation region was much wider than other PVDF/diluent systems. Thus, it is possible to fabricate PVDF membrane with a bi-continuous structure at high polymer concentrations, without stretching or additives. With the increase in polymer concentration and quenching temperature, mean pore size and pure water flux of the PVDF membrane decreased. Tensile stress of the prepared PVDF membranes reached to 6.18 MPa, because the wide liquid-liquid phase separation region induced a bi-continuous structure when the concentration of the PVDF membrane was at around 30%.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
