Effects of preparation conditions on the surface modification and performance of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes

The impact that some membrane preparation steps had on ultrafiltration (UF) membrane characteristics and performance was studied. Polyethersulfone (PES) was employed as base polymer, while N‐methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as a solvent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a nonsolvent pore‐forming additive. The manufacturing variables studied were solvent evaporation time and membrane surface modification, using a fluorine‐based copolymer referred to as surface‐modifying macromolecule (SMM). The flat sheet membranes, prepared via phase inversion, were characterized using solute transport data, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurements. Membrane performance was evaluated via filtration test protocol that included a 6‐day filtration of concentrated river water. The flux reduction with time was modeled using single and dual mechanisms of fouling. The pore blockage/cake filtration model described better the behavior of the permeation rate along the experiments. Increasing the solvent evaporation time decreased the size of the pores and the permeation rate. However, it did not significantly affect the removal of the organic compounds naturally present in the river water used as feed. XPS and contact angle measurements proved that the short evaporation periods did not allow enough SMM migration to the surface to provoke a significant effect on the membrane performance. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

EFFECT OF NONSOLVENT ADDITIVES ON THE PORE SIZE AND THE PORE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF AROMATIC POLYAMIDE RO MEMBRANES

In this paper discussions are made on the effect of nonsolvent swelling agents on the average pore size and pore size distributions at the surface of polyamide membranes which result from casting solutions involving above nonsolvent swelling agents.

The size of the polymer aggregate in the film casting solution and the size of polymer network pores are correlated to physicochemical data of ions which constitute the electrolytes used as nonsolvent swelling agents. As such ionic properties the charge density and the free energy of transition of ions from polyamide phase to water phase were considered. The validity of the correlation is limited in a range of casting solution composition where the polymer concentration in the casting solution is close to the limiting concentration of polymer at the phase boundary and the molar ratio of the nonsolvent swelling agent to the amide group involved in the polyamide polymer is equal to or slightly more than 0.7.     

Relationship between Transformation Temperature and Time-Temperature-Transformation Curves of Tetragonal-to-Monoclinic Martensitic Transformation in Zirconia-Yttria System

The tetragonal → monoclinic ( t → m ) martensitic phase transformation in ZrO₂–0.5–4 mol% Y₂O₃ proceeds during isothermal aging at various temperatures from 350 to 800 K; i.e., the transformation increases sigmoidally with aging time. The time-temperature-transformation ( T - T - T ) curves show a typical C shape, with very high rate for lower Y₂O₃-content specimens, and the rate decreases with higher Y₂O₃ content. The transformation temperature ( M _s) of the t → m transformation obtained from dilatation curves during the cooling stage coincides well with C curves above the nose temperature. The t → m transformation should occur isothermally, as suggested by a nucleation and growth mode.     

CONCENTRATION POLARIZATION OCCURRING INSIDE THE MEMBRANE DURING STEADY STATE PERVAPORATION

Experimental profiles of a single penetrant (water) across the membrane have been established at different downstream pressures during steady state pervaporation. The profiles ofacetic acid-water binary penetrant system across the membrane were also measured at different downstream pressures, temperatures and compositions during steady state pervaporation. A stack of identical pre-characterized symmetric aromatic polyamide membranes was used for the profile study. The theoretical prediction of concentration polarization from mathematical equations has been confirmed by the experimental profile data for a binary penetrant system.     

Surface modification of polyethersulfone hollow-fiber membranes by γ-ray irradiation

The fouling of ultrafiltration membrane is often caused by gel formation on the membrane surface. This gel layer arises due to concentration polarization or macromolecular adsorption on the membrane surface. The gel layer affects both the hydraulic permeability and the rejection properties of the membrane. In this report, the adsorption of porcine albumin and the concentration polarization effect on modified and unmodified polyethersulfone (PES) hollow-fiber membrane is studied. PES ultrafiltration hollow-fiber membranes were modified by the grafting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer on the internal surface using γ-ray irradiation method. The modified hollow fibers were less susceptible to fouling than were the unmodified fiber. The performance of both modified and unmodified hollow fibers was tested as a function of feed flow rates and protein concentrations. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reverse osmosis separation of phenols in aqueous solutions using porous cellulose acetate membranes

Reverse osmosis separations of phenol (9.4 to 108 ppm), p-cresol (108 ppm), and p-chlorophenol (129 ppm) were studied using Loeb-Sourirajan-type porous cellulose acetate membranes, and single-solute aqueous feed solutions at 500 psig and the indicated solute concentrations. It was found that, by dissociating the solute by changing the pH of the feed solution, all the above phenols could be separated by reverse osmosis. Solute separation increased with increase in the degree of dissociation of the solute in the feed solution; and, by the appropriate choice of pore size on the membrane surface, separations of phenol approaching the degree of dissociation of phenol in the feed solution could be obtained under the operating conditions used. Similar experiments using aniline (93 ppm) as the solute showed that dissociation of solute molecules in the feed solution could be a technique generally applicable for the reverse osmosis separation of nonionic solutes in aqueous solution. The effects of operating pressure in the range 250 to 1500 psig and pore size on the membrane surface on the separation of un-ionized phenol and p-chlorophenol showed that, with respect to single-solute aqueous feed solutions of phenols, the component whose relative acidity was greater was preferentially sorbed at the cellulose acetate membrane—aqueous solution interface, and the solute concentration in the membrane-permeated product solution was a function of the extent and mobility of each of the sorbed species.     

Pervaporation study of water and tert‐butanol mixtures

The permeation behavior of water/tert‐butanol mixture through Sulzer Pervap2510 hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) membranes was investigated and the effects of feed composition and temperature on separation efficiency of the membranes were studied. The pervaporation experiments were carried out with feed water content varying from 0 to 20 wt % according to the existing industrial needs and with the feed temperature from 60 to 100°C. Over this range, both water flux and separation factor increased with increasing water content and feed temperature. These phenomena may be attributed to (1) the strong interaction between water and the membrane, (2) the decoupling effect of the permeants and the membrane at elevated temperatures, and (3) the steric hindrance effect of branch chain alcohol. The permeability ratio (the ideal separation factor) of water to tert‐butanol across the membrane was calculated and found to follow the same relationship with increasing temperature and water content. Both flux and separation factor obtained from the Pervap2510 membrane in this study were much higher than previous reported values, possible causes for which were analyzed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 4082–4090, 2004     

Effect of tacticity of poly(methyl methacrylate) on interfacial region with silica in polymer nanocomposite

The effect of tacticity on the interfacial region between poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and silica in a PMMA/silica nanocomposite was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The glass transition temperature (T_g) values of the syndiotactic (st-) and atactic (at-) PMMA/silica nanocomposites are higher than those of the neat PMMA. Conversely, the T_g of the isotactic (it-) PMMA/silica nanocomposite is slightly higher than that of the neat it-PMMA. DSC and XRD results suggest that the restriction of the PMMA chain mobility in the silica nanoparticle interfacial region heightens as the syndiotactic content increases. FT-IR results show that this phenomenon is caused by the interaction between the carbonyl group of PMMA and the silanol group on the silicon dioxide surface. Therefore, it can be concluded that the syndiotactic-rich PMMA has a significantly different molecular mobility from that of the neat PMMA in the interfacial region with silica nanoparticle surface than isotactic-rich PMMA.     

Novel process for cover glass with ideal stress distribution

Abstract — This paper proposes a new process to manufacture cover glass that overcomes a strength trade‐off between the face and the edge. In the process, alkali barrier films are deposited on glass faces before an ion exchange process in order to control face stress properties without inhibiting the edge strengthening. As a demonstration of the process, alkali‐alumino‐silicate glass sheets with sputter‐deposited SiO₂ films were chemically strengthened, and then their stress properties and strengths were investigated. As a result, thicker SiO₂ films cause lower face DOL (depth of strengthened layer), and it is observed that the faces have lower DOL than the edges. In strength tests corresponding to major fracture modes of smartphone cover glass, specimens with 80–100 nm films have more balanced face performance and better edge impact strengths than the no‐film specimen.     

Experimental and clinical study on intraoperative local infusion chemotherapy (ILIC) for advanced gastric carcinoma

An intensive chemotherapy combined with surgery, termed "intraoperative local infusion chemotherapy (ILIC)", was devised. The ILIC procedure is to infuse 50 mg of cisplatin through the feeding artery to the tumor, which has been isolated from blood flow by clamping the stomach and blood vessels, before radical surgery. An experiment in dogs showed considerable free Pt transfer into thoracic lymph after ILIC. Sum total Pt in the thoracic lymph after ILIC (294.5 micrograms/3 h) was 4.3 times that after IV administration (68.3 micrograms/3 h). In ILIC, AUC of free Pt in the thoracic lymph was about 5.8 times that in peripheral blood. ILIC was applied in 24 advanced gastric cancer patients, consisting of 6, 2, 4 and 12 in pTNM stage II, IIIA, IIIB and IV, respectively. Pt concentration of the tissues was high in the tumor (23.22 micrograms/g) and the regional lymph nodes (2.95 micrograms/g) compared to that in the serum (0.45 microgram/ml). The survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) in the ILIC patients was significantly higher than that of control patients (matched pair method) from among patients treated by surgery alone. No fatal complications were encountered in any patient treated by ILIC.