Abstract:
The kidneys play a critical part in maintaining internal equilibrium of the body. However,
renal diseases present a significant public health concern, affecting millions of individuals
worldwide. Polyethersulfone (PES) based hemodialysis membranes can provide a lifesustaining treatment procedure for patients suffering from renal disease. Nevertheless, the
intrinsic hydrophobic nature of PES contributes to an inefficiency of uremic toxin
clearance and a compromised hemocompatibility. This work evaluates the individual and
combined effects of two water-soluble hydrophilic additives, polyethylene glycol (PEG)
and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), on the functionality of polyethersulfone (PES)
membranes. The membranes were synthesized by the non-solvent phase inversion method
by using NMP as the solvent. The fabricated membranes were characterized by using
Scanning Electron Microscopy, ATR-FTIR, tensile testing, porosity, and contact angle
analysis. The SEM images demonstrated the successful fabrication of the membranes. Each
membrane possessed a thin skin layer and an asymmetric porous framework. As a result of
the synergistic effect, the membrane with dual WSP—2.5% PVP and 2.5% PEG—
performed better than membranes with a single water-soluble hydrophilic additive. The
membranes comprising the two additives had excellent hydrophilicity, increased porosity,
and a high-water retention capacity. Moreover, they showed a urea clearance of 77.3%, a
pure water flux of 96 L/m²/h, and an outstanding BSA rejection of 99.10%. RSM modelling
was employed to determine the urea clearance that verified the ideal conditions for urea
removal were concentrations of 1200 mg/L and 0.6 MPa. The effectiveness of membrane
containing dual WSP for hemodialysis was further demonstrated by hemocompatibilityxv
tests, which provided promising results (APTT 32s, PT 14s, plasma recalcification time
205.5s, and hemolysis rate 1.32%).
