Fabrication and characterization of polysulfone reinforced hollow fibre membrane

ABSTRACT

In this study, reinforced hollow fibre membranes were fabricated using different molecular weights of polyvinylidene prolidone (PVP Mw: 10, 40 and 360 kDa) and different take-up speeds (1, 2, 2.6 and 3.5 m/min). Prepared reinforced hollow fibre membranes were characterized in terms of permeability; surface morphology and hydrophilicity; pore size distribution; bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection and flux recovery ratio. Optimum permeability and BSA rejection were obtained when PVP molecular weight was 40 kDa. After PVP molecular weight determination, advancing speed was changed and it was seen that increasing advancing speed ended up with decreased membrane wall thickness; however, decreased wall thickness increased the probability of irreversible fouling.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Reinforced
• hollow fibre
• membrane fabrication
• polyvinylidene prolidone

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Reyhan Sengur-Tasdemir http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4103-9430

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful to TUBITAK (Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştirma Kurumu) (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) for their financial support under grant number 113Y359. The collaboration between ITU and MSU teams was supported in part by the U. S. National Science Foundation Partnerships for International Research and Education programme [grant number 1243433].