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Application of Colloidal Precipitation Method Using Sodium Polymethacrylate as Dispersant for TiO 2 /PVDF Membrane Preparation and Its Antifouling Properties
Author(s) -
Tavakolmoghadam Maryam,
Mohammadi Toraj
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.25009
Subject(s) - materials science , membrane , polyvinylidene fluoride , dispersant , chemical engineering , biofouling , phase inversion , fouling , nanoparticle , polymer , composite material , dispersion (optics) , nanotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , optics , engineering
Immobilized titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles on flat sheet polymeric membranes have been found effective for fouling reduction in recent researches. The main challenge in this field is to obtain ultrafine and stable nanodispersions. In this study, composite polyvinylidene fluoride/TiO 2 (PVDF/TiO 2 ) ultrafiltration membranes were prepared via phase inversion and colloidal precipitation method. Stable TiO 2 suspensions were prepared using sodium polymethacrylate as dispersant and sonication without altering of the coagulation bath pH. The effect of different concentrations of TiO 2 nanoparticles in the coagulation bath was also investigated. The membrane morphology (distribution of nanoparticles on the membrane surface) was observed by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Properties of the neat and the composite membranes were also characterized using energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and contact angle and membrane porosity measurements. The neat and the composite membranes were further investigated in terms of bovine serum albumin rejection and flux decline in cross flow filtration experiments. The results showed that the PVDF/TiO 2 composite membrane using dimethylacetamide/triethyl phosphate as solvent and 0.05 g/L of TiO 2 in the coagulation bath exhibits improved antifouling properties. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E422–E434, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers