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Preparation of thermal‐responsive poly(propylene) membranes grafted with n ‐isopropylacrylamide by plasma‐induced polymerization and their water permeation
Author(s) -
Kim So Yeon,
Kanamori Toshiyuki,
Shinbo Toshio
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.10410
Subject(s) - lower critical solution temperature , poly(n isopropylacrylamide) , membrane , polymer chemistry , polymerization , chemical engineering , materials science , permeation , attenuated total reflection , chemistry , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , copolymer , polymer , composite material , biochemistry , engineering
Poly(propylene) (PP) membrane grafted with poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), which is known to have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at around 32°C, was prepared by the plasma‐induced graft polymerization technique. Graft polymerization of PNIPAAm onto a PP membrane was confirmed by microscopic attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. The grafting yield of PNIPAAm increased with the concentration of N ‐isopropylacrylamide monomer and the reaction time of graft polymerization. The average pore size of the PP membrane also affected the grafting yield. From the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) measurement, we observed a morphological change in the PP‐ g ‐PNIPAAm membrane under wet conditions at 25°C below LCST. The permeability of water through the PP‐ g ‐PNIPAAm membrane was controlled by temperature. The PP‐ g ‐PNIPAAm membrane (PN05 and PN10) exhibited higher water permeability (L p ) than the original PP substrate membrane below LCST. As the temperature increased to above LCST, L p gradually decreased. In addition, the graft yield of PNIPAAm and the average pore size of the PP substrate influenced water permeability. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1168–1177, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10410