Removal of rubidium from brine by an integrated film of sulfonated polysulfone/graphene/potassium copper ferricyanide

A novel integrated film of sulfonated polysulfone/graphene/potassium copper ferricyanide(KCuFC/SPSG)was used for selectively extracting rubidium ion(Rb^(+))from brine.To form KCuFC/SPSG,the precursor film of sulfonated polysulfone/graphene(SPSG)was synthesized by phase conversion process,which was alternately immersed in 0.1 mol·L^(-1)CuSO_(4)/K_(4)[Fe(CN)_(6)]by in-situ adsorption coupled co-precipitation method.Various data such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer,Fourier transform infrared spectroscope,X-ray photoelectron spectroscope,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscope,and energy dispersive spectroscopy all verified that abundant KCuFC were uniformly located on the film.The resulting KCuFC/SPSG was used in film separation system.As the solution was fed into the system,the Rb^(+)could be selectively adsorption by KCuFC/SPSG.After the saturation adsorption,0.5 mol·L^(-1)NH_(4)Cl/HCl was fed into the film cell,Rb^(+)could be quickly desorbed by ion-exchange between Rb^(+)and NH_(4)^(+)in the lattice of KCuFC.The purpose of separating and recovering Rb^(+)from the brine can be achieved after the repeated operation.The effects of pH,adsorption time,and interferential ions on the adsorption capacity of Rb^(+)were investigated by batch experiments.The adsorption behavior fits the pseudo-second order kinetic process,while KCuFC has a higher adsorption capacity(Langmuir maximum sorption 165.4 mg·g^(-1)).In addition,KCuFC/SPSG shows excellent selectivity for Rb^(+)even in complex brine systems.KCuFC/SPSG could maintain 93.5%extraction efficiency after five adsorption/desorption cycles.

Anti-fouling ultrafiltration membrane prepared from polysulfone-graft-methyl acrylate copolymers by UV-induced grafting method

Membrane fouling is one of the most important challenges faced in membrane ultrafiltration operations. The copolymers of polysulfone-graft-methyl acrylate were synthesized by homogeneous photo-initiated graft copolymerization. The variables affecting the degree of grafting, such as the time of UV （Ultraviolet-visible） irradiation and the concentrations of the methyl acrylate and photoinitiator, were investigated. The graft copolymer membranes were prepared by the phase inversion method. The chemical and morphological changes were characterized by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （ATR/FT-IR）, scanning electron microscopy, and water contact angles measurements. Results revealed that methyl acrylate groups were present on the membranes and the graft degree of methyl acrylate had remarkable effect on the performance of membranes. Pure water contact angle on the membrane surface decreases with the increase of methyl acrylate graft degree, which indicated that the hydrophilicity of graft copolymer membranes was improved. The permeation fluxes of pure water and bovine serum albumin solution were measured to evaluate the antifouling property of graft copolymer membranes, the results of which have shown an enhancement of antifouling property for graft copolymer membranes.

Investigation of polysulfone film on high-performance anode with stabilized electrolyte/electrode interface for lithium batteries

Lithium metal has been considered to be the most promising anode material for the new generation of energy-storage system.However,challenges still stand in protecting lithium metal from spontaneous reactions with electrolytes and preventing the dendritic propagation,both of which would lead to undesirable decrease in Coulombic efficiency.Polysulfone(PSf)membrane with high rigidity and free-volume cavities of approximately 0.3 nm was employed to provide a stable interface on the surface of anodic electrode.The isotropic channels were constructed by the interconnected and uniformly distributed free volumes in the polymer matrix,and were expected to be swelled by solvent molecules and anions of lithium salt and to allow Li+ions to pass through onto the electrode surface.As a result,dendrite-free morphology of deposited lithium was observed.The stabilized interface arose from the PSf film was verified by the promoted performances of Cu|Li cells and steady voltage polarization of Li|Li cells.The full cell with PSf coated anode exhibited excellent cyclability(85%capacity retention rate over 400 cycles at 1C)and an outstanding rate capability(117 m Ah g-1 at 5C).The beneficial performances were further verified by the EIS results.This work provides a new strategic idea to settle the dendritic problems of Li metal anodes.

Gas-initiation under UV and liquid-grafting polymerization on the surface of polysulfone hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane by dynamic method

Using the inner-surface of polysulfone hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes as grafted layer, the method of gas-initiation and liquid-polymerization has been studied, which aimed to adjust the diameter of the pores in the membranes. The degree of polymerization varied with the changes of the parameters, such as irradiation time, monomer concentration, temperature and time of polymerization and so on. The results indicated that using benzophenone(BP) which is in a gaseous condition as photo-initiator, acrylamide as graft monomer, the polyacrylamide chain was grafted on the surface of membranes. After the surface membrane being modified, the water flux and retention altered,and thus it can be seen that the diameter of the pores in the membrane was altered. These experiments contribute to finding a new way to produce the hollow fiber membrane with the small pore size and are extraordinarily worth developing and studying.

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol)(PSF-b-PEG, SFEG)composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin(BSA)/humic acid(HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

Spray coating of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block polymer on macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling for composite ultrafiltration membranes

Polysulfone(PSF) is extensively used for the production of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes thanks to its high strength,chemical stability,and good processibility.However,PSF is intrinsically hydrophobic,and hydrophilic modification is always required to PSF-based membranes if they are intended to be used in aqueous systems.Facile strategies to prepare hydrophilic PSF membranes are thus highly demanded.Herein we spray coat a PSF-based amphiphilic block polymer onto macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling to prepare flat-sheet PSF UF membranes.The polymer is a triblock polymer containing PSF as the majority middle block tethered with shorter block of polyethylene glycol(PEG) on both ends,that is,PEG-b-PSF-b-PEG.We use the technique of spray coa ting to homogeneously dispense diluted triblock polymer solutions on the top of macroporous supports,instantly resulting in uniform,defect-free polymer coating layers with the thickness down to ~1.2 μm.The bi-layered composite structures are then immerged in ethanol/acetone mixture to generate mesoscale pores in the coating layers following the mechanism of selective swelling-induced pore generation,thus producing composite membranes with the mesoporous triblock polymer coating as the selective layers.This facile strategy is free from additional hydrophilic modification and much smaller dosages of polymers are used compared to conventional casting methods.The pore sizes,porositie s,hydrophilicity,and consequently the separation properties of the membranes can be flexibly tuned by changing the swelling duration and the composition of the swelling bath.This strategy combining spray coating and selective swelling is upscalable for the production of highperformance PSF UF membranes.

New high permeable polysulfone/ionic liquid membrane for gas separation

In this study,the effects of 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid on CO2/CH4 separation performance of symmetric polysulfone membranes are investigated.Pure polysulfone membrane and ionic liquid-containing membranes are characterized.Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM)is used to analyze surface morphology and thickness of the fabricated membranes.Energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)and elemental mapping,Fourier transform infrared(FTIR),thermal gravimetric(TGA),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Tensile strength analyses are also conducted to characterize the prepared membrane s.CO2/CH4 separation performance of the membranes are measured twice at 0.3 MPa and room temperature(250 C).Permeability measurements confirm that increasing ionic liquid content in polymer-ionic liquid membranes leads to a growth in CO2 permeation and CO2/CH4 selectivity due to high affinity of the ionic liquid to carbon dioxide.CO2 permeation significantly increases from 4,3 Barrer(1 Barrer=10^-10 cm^3(STP)·cm·m^-2·s^-1·cmHg^-1,1 cmHg=1.333 kPa)for the pure polymer membrane to 601.9 Barrer for the 30 wt%ionic liquid membrane.Also,selectivity of this membrane is improved from 8.2 to 25.8.mixed gas te sts are implemented to investigate gases interaction.The results showed,the disruptive effect of CH4 molecules for CO2 permeation lead to selectivity decrement compare to pure gas te st.The fabricated membranes with high ionic liquid content in this study are promising materials for industrial CO2/CH4 separation membranes.

Characterization of polysulfone hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane and its cleaning efficiency by streaming potential and flux method

Polysulfone(PS)hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membrane was characterized combined with flux and streaming potential in single electrolyte solutions.The effects of trans-membrane pressure,electrolyte concentration,ion valence and pH value of electrolyte solution on the streaming potential(SP)of the membrane were investigated.The zeta potential and surface charge density of the membrane were calculated on the basis of Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation and Gouy-Chapmann theory.The results indicate that the valence and concentration of cation have a greater influence on the SP and surface charge density of PS membrane than those of anion,and the pH value of electrolyte solution has great effects on the SP and zeta potential of the membrane surface. Both the absolute value of the streaming potential and water flux of the adsorbed membrane decrease,compared with those of the clean membrane.The streaming potential and flux of the cleaned membrane can be completely recovered by cleaning with the mass fraction of 0.8%EDTA at pH=10.

Preparation of antifouling ultrafiltration membranes from copolymers of polysulfone and zwitterionic poly(arylene ether sulfone)s

The past few decades have witnessed rapid gains in our demands of antifouling membranes such as water purification membranes and hemodialysis membranes.A variety of methodologies have been proposed for improving the antifouling performance and the hemocompatibility of the membranes.In this study,a series of copolymers(PSF-PESSB)containing polysulfone(PSF)and poly(arylene ether sulfone)bearing pendant zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups(PESSB)were prepared via one-pot polycondensation.Subsequently,the ultrafiltration(UF)membranes were prepared from different zwitterion-containing copolymers.The prepared membranes showed high thermal stability and mechanical properties.Besides,it also displayed attractive antifouling performance and blood compatibility.Compared with the original PSF membrane,the amount of protein absorption on the modified membrane was reduced;the flux recovery ratio and the resistance to blood cells were significantly improved.The results of this work suggest that PSF-PESSB membranes are expected to be applied in blood purification.The introduction of zwitterion-containing polymers to membranes paves ways for developing advanced hemodialysis technologies for crucial process.

Synthesis and Characterization of Polysulfone Hydrogels

Polysulfone (PSF) membranes are frequently used in ultrafiltration, due totheirchemical and structural stability and mechanical robustness. Despite these advantages, successful utilization of this membrane technology has been greatly limited by the susceptibility of these membranes to fouling, due totheirhydrophobic nature. Here we report on the synthesis and characterisation of hydrophilic PSF membrane materials prepared by incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol, through chemical crosslinking to produce mechanically and chemically stable PSF hydrogels. The hydrogel composition was controlled at three different ratios to evaluate the effect of the PSF contributioni.e.25:75, 50:50 and 75:25. PSF hydrogels were characterized using high resolution scanningelectronmicroscopy (HR-SEM), cyclicvoltammetry (CV), and drop shape analysis techniques. The polysulfone hydrogels formed showed a decrease in contact angle by 50% for all hydrogels regardless of their polysulfone contribution, confirming an improvement in hydrophilic nature. The electron diffusion and ionic transport properties of thehydrogels as immobilised thin films in aqueous solutions,wereevaluated using cyclic voltammetry.

Modification Effect of Nano-Graphene Oxide on Properties and Structure of Polysulfone Ultrafiltration Membrane

In order to improve the purification properties of polysulfone (PSF) ultrafiltration membranes (UFM), nano-graphene oxide (nano-GO) was taken as modifier, and the physical blending process was adopted in our experiment. The microstructure, surface morphology and functional groups of modified UFM have been characterized respectively by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the static contact angle between the membrane surface and the water droplet has also been detected to show the change of its hydrophilicity. Through experiments, it has been found that modified UFM has larger and more developed finger micro-pores, and there exist a large number of -OH groups on its surface, and also its hydrophilicity has been enhanced. The result of the experiments show that the modified UFM may keep rejection above 97% and its water flux can be reached at about 219.1 L/(m2·h) under pressure of 1 bar if 0.4 wt% of nano-GO was added. Additionally, the nano-GO can increase the flux recovery radio (FRR) of the membranes, and the maximum FRR was observed as 74.4% if 0.3 wt% of nano-GO was appended.

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF A MEMBRANE-FORMING SYSTEM COMPOSED OF POLYSULFONE-SOLVENT-SULFURIC ACID SOLUTION

1 INTRODUCTIONSince the invention of asymmetric membrane by Loeb and Sourirajan [1],membraneseparation processes have attracted considerable commercial interests.L-S membranesare generally prepared by phase inversion techniques [2].The thermodynamic and kine-tic analyses of these processes could be expressed by means of semiempiricalmathematical models.Such thermodynamic work involves the construction of a com-plete phase diagram for the membrane formation system and the membrane structure.

SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTIES OF ORGANOCLAYMODIFIED POLYSULFONE/EPOXY INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK NANOCOMPOSITES

Organoclay-modified hydroxylterminated polysulfone (PSF)/epoxy interpenetrating network nanocomposites (oM-PSF/EP nanocomposites) were prepared by adding organophilic montmorillonite (oMMT) to interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of polysulfone and epoxy resin (PSF/EP) using diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as curing agent.The mechanical properties like tensile strength,tensile modulus,flexural strength,flexural modulus and impact properties of the nanocomposites were studied as per ASTM standards.Different...

Preparation of Polysulfone-supported Phosphoramidic Acid Type Chelate Membrane and Its Sorption Properties for Ag^+

A blending chelate filter membrane with high chelate capacity for Ag + has been prepared by blending of phosphoramidic acid resin and polysulfone. The major parameters influencing structure of the chelate filter membranes such as the blending ratio, phosphoramidic acid resin grain size and temperature of casting solution have been studied. The relationship among the chelate amount of Ag +, pH value, Ag + concentration and phosphoramidic acid resin grain diameter were examined. The chelate filter membrane had a capacity of 1 438 μg/cm 2 for Ag + under appropriate conditions. Sorption isotherm of Ag + could be expressed with the Freundlich sorption model. The dynamic chelate experiments proved that the sorption and desorption of membranes could be realized simultaneously for Ag +.

Sodium alginate-polyvinyl alcohol/polysulfone (SA-PVA/PSF) hollow fiber composite pervaporation membrane for dehydration of ethanol-water solution

Using polysulfone （PSF） hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes as the substrate, sodium alginate （SA） and polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） blend solutions as the coating solution, and maleic anhydride （MAC） as the cross-linked agent, SAPVA/PSF hollow fiber composite membranes were prepared for the dehydration of ethanol-water. The effects of different sodium alginate concentration in the coating solutions and different operating temperatures on pervaporation performance were investigated. The experimental results showed that pervaporation performance of the SA-PVA/PSF composite membranes for ethanol-water solution exhibited a high separation factor although they had a relatively low permeation flux. As SA concentration in SA-PVA coating solution was 66.7% and the operating temperature was 40 ℃, SA-PVA/PSF hollow fiber composite membrane （PS4） had a separation factor of 886 and flux of 12.6 g/（m^2·h）. Besides, SA-PVA/PSF hollow fiber composite membranes （PS3 and PS4） were used for the investigation of the effect of ethanol concentration in the feed solution on pervaporation performance.

PREPARATION OF LIQUID CRYSTALLINE COPOLYESTERS WITH SPACERS BASED ON BISPHENOL-A,BISPHENOL-S OR POLYSULFONE BY DIRECT POLYCONDENSATION

Four series of copolyesters were synthesized by direct polycondonsation reaction between aromatic dicarboxylic acids and bisphenols by using tosyi chloride and N, N-dimethylformamide ( DMF ) in pyridine under mild conditions. The electron-rich hydroxyl groups of bisphenols favoured the polycondensation reaction and the order of relative reactivities of bisphenols is as follow:bisphenoI-A> hydroquinone ～ bisphenol-S> chlorohydroquinone. The mesomorphic properties of copolyesters were examined by birefringence under polarizing microscope, melt transparency. DSC and X-ray diffraction. The minimum molar fraction of mesogenic units needed for the appearance of liquid crystallinity is not higher than 0. 1 despite of the different varieties and lengths of the spacers studied.

Metal Nanoparticle Modified Polysulfone Membranes for Use in Wastewater Treatment: A Critical Review

Membrane separation processes have been widely applied in the treatment of wastewater. Polysulphone (PSF) membranes are the most common membranes used in ultrafiltration of wastewater due to its mechanical robustness and structural and chemical stability. Unfortunately these membranes are mostly hydrophobic by nature and therefore highly susceptible to fouling. Many studies have been conducted to increase the hydrophilic properties of the polysul-phone/ polyethersulfone membrane surface, more recently metal nanoparticles have been added to the polymer matrix in order to reduce fouling potential and increase membrane performance. TiO2 nanoparticles have proven successful in mitigating fouling of organic matter onto PES. Embedded Ag nanoparticles have improved virus removal from wastewater due to the bactericidal properties of silver. Al2O3 and most recently ZrO2 nanoparticles reduced the fouling rate of polyethersulfone membranes in wastewater, while the latter also showed lower flux decline of the composite membrane. These metal nanoparticles all impart specific properties onto the membrane surface. Scanning electron microscopy, steady state fouling rate and contact angle measurements are membrane characterisation techniques discussed in this review that reveal specific changes to membrane properties brought about by metal nanoparticles. This paper reviews the most recent developments and shortcomings of metal nanocomposite polysulfone and polyethersulfone (PES) membranes and strives to identify specific focus areas to consider in future research.

Surface Properties and Compatibility with Blood of New Quaternized Polysulfones

The paper describes some properties of new quaternized polysulfones obtained by quaternization of chloromethylated polysulfone with different tertiary amines - N,N-dimethylethylamine and N,N-dimethyloctylamine. Hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties, morphological aspects and compatibility with red blood cells and platelets are affected by the alkyl radicals and by history of the formed films. The results obtained are useful in biomedical applications, including evaluation of bacterial adhesion to the surfaces, or utilization of modified polysulfones as semipermeable membranes.

Synthesis and Preparation of Polysulfone Hollow Fiber Chelating Membrane Modified with Thiourea

Several kinds of chloromethyl polysulfones （CMPF） with different chlorinity and reactive groups were synthesized by Friedel.crafts reaction, which could be utilized as reactively matrix membrane materials. The CMPF hollow matrix membranes were prepared with phase inversion by utilization of CMPF/additive/DMAC casting solution and CMPF as membrane materials. It was found that the effects of additive content, bore liquid and dry spinning distance on the structure of CMPF hollow fiber matrix membrane were different. A high qualified palysulfone hollow fiber chelating membrane modified with thiourea as chelating groups was prepared using CMPF as membrane matrix materials, through the reaction between thiourea and CMPF hollow fiber matrix membrane to afford the methyl iso-thiourium polysulfone. The experimental results showed that thermal drawing could increase the mechanical properties of matrix membrane, and the thermal treatment could increase the homogeneity and stability of the structure of polysulfoue hollow fiber chelating membrane modified with thiourea.

Study of Effects of Low Doses UV Radiation on Microporous Polysulfone Membranes in Sterilization Process

Synthetic membranes have gained an important place in chemical technology and are used in a broad range of applications. UV irradiation is an age old process used for disinfection as well as for sterilization purposes. It is used for sterilizing equipment in which polysulfone (PSf) membranes are used. As a result, short time UV irradiation of polymer membranes has acquired importance in recent times. In the present study, microporous polysulfone membranes with0.108 mmthickness have been prepared using phase inversion method. Effect of UV irradiation on the membranes for short time intervals (0 - 60 minutes) has been investigated using UV-Vis and FTIR spectrophotometer, and SEM. The performance of the membranes has studied by filtration techniques. UV-Vis and IR spectra analysis and SEM images obtained suggest that chains scission and crosslink have occurred simultaneously in the irradiated membranes by UV radiation in a dose dependant manner. The pure water flux (PWF) values of irradiated membranes obtained from filtration studies were higher compared to that of the control membrane. These results show that a very short UV irradiation (2 minutes) affected the physicochemical characteristics of microporous polysulfone membrane which it increases with increase in time.