Abstract:
Membranes were casted using non-woven polyester fabric as support material and using different concentrations of polyethersulfone as polymer material and NMP as solvent for the membranes. Immersion by precipitation technique was used to produce the pore morphology in the fabricated membranes. Scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometery were used to observe the morphologies and surface roughness of the fabricated membranes. It was observed that when the concentration of the polymer was increased the surface roughness of the membrane was increased as well. The tensile strength of the membranes increased with the increase of polymer in the casting solution. The pure water flux of the fabricated membranes was also tested at different pressures. The results indicated the dependence of flux on the surface roughness and morphology of the membranes. The flux observed to decrease with the increase of polymer weight percentage. The parameters used to prepare membranes were helpful in designing and fabricating the prototype pilot scale plant.
The project also involves to explore the design and development of pilot-scale prototype plant for flat sheet polymer membranes. This plant can use to make flat sheet membranes on pilot scale. It is a semi-automated machine, which can be operated by a single person. A mounted motor on the shaft is utilized to pull the support fabric. Precipitation time is a key factor for the formation of pores in the membrane. Controlled revolutions per minute of motor can provide enough time for precipitation of polymer in the bath tub. Rollers mounted on one another with calculated gap can ensure proper wetting of polymer on the support fabric. It occupies small space and can be used to make membranes on pilot scale.
