| Abstract: | Film membranes from the thermoplastic poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) have been extruded and tested for their microfiltration and ultrafiltration performance. High‐performance asymmetric membranes have been obtained by extruding polymer blends of PEEK, polysulphone, and a small molecule solvent mixture, and then by removing the polysulphone and solvent in a subsequent extraction step. The process for making ultrafiltration membranes differs from microfiltration membranes only in the relative blend components, and the temperature of the film pick‐up rolls. Processing parameters with important effects on the membrane performance have been identified. Microfiltration membranes are characterized by their pore‐size distributions and SEM, and ultrafiltration membranes by their rejection of bovine serum albumin, bubble point, and SEM. Composite membrane for nanofiltration utilizing the PEEK ultrafiltration membrane as a substrate performed similarly to a commercial membrane for the same purpose. This work details the best method for making PEEK film membranes published to date. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1146–1155, 1999 |
