Journal
POLYMER
Volume 55, Issue 6, Pages 1296-1306Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2014.01.035
Keywords
PVDF; Blended membrane preparation; Vacuum membrane distillation
Categories
Funding
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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In this work, different PVDF grades were used for producing hollow fibers for application in seawater desalination by membrane distillation (MD). In particular, PVDF Solef (R) homopolymers, with increasing molecular weight and different crystallinity, were used, also in blend, for preparing polymeric dopes. The effect of PVDF molecular weight on the dope viscosity was investigated. Then, a group of six polymeric dopes, having the same additive composition and the same viscosity (about 7000 mPa s), but containing different PVDF types was selected. Spinning experiments were carried out under the same conditions to highlight the effect of PVDF type on the produced hollow fibers' morphology and properties. It was evidenced that polymer concentration plays a major role in determining the final membrane morphology; in particular, the formation of macrovoids is more affected by polymer concentration than dope viscosity. Fibers' mechanical properties, porosity and pore size were found to be also strongly affected by polymer concentration. Finally, the produced hollow fibers were tested in a membrane distillation unit working under vacuum (VMD). Tests were carried out both feeding pure water and synthetic seawater. It was found that VMD performance, both in terms of flux U) and solute separation factor (a), being connected to fibers' morphology and porosity, is also clearly dependent on polymer concentration. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights
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