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Abstract
In this study, polysulphone (PSf) membranes were manufactured in different conditions to establish the influence of manufacturing factors on the permeation properties of PSf nanofiltration membranes. PSf membranes were prepared by diffusion-induced phase inversion in N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent and deionized water as coagulant. The influence of the relative air humidity and casting time of the polymer in the manufacturing process were studied. All the polymeric solutions were prepared at 30 wt% PSf in NMP and a thin film of 250 μm thickness was cast on a support wetted with NMP, to tamp the pores from the support. The influence of these factors on the permeation properties of PSf membranes was investigated in a series of filtration experiments, and by contact angle measurements and SEM observations. The results show an important influence of the relative air humidity and casting time on the permeability properties and reproducibility of the membrane performance.