Preparation and characterization of polyvinylpyrollidone incorporated cellulose acetate membranes for ultrafiltration of metal ion

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes are widely used for reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration (UF) applications. In this study, asymmetric CA membranes were prepared by phase inversion method using different concentration of polyvinylpyrollidone (PVP) as a pore former. The prepared polymeric blend membranes were characterized by Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope. The effect of PVP concentration on the UF performance of the blend membranes was investigated and discussed in terms of water content (%), compaction, and pure water flux (PWF). It was observed that the thermal stability of the membranes increased with increasing the PVP content, whereas the mechanical strength of membranes was deteriorated. The number of pore and pore size distribution in the membrane structure were evaluated. The PWF and water content (%) of the membranes were dependent on the PVP concentration. Studies were carried to find out the rejection and permeate flux of cadmium ion using humic acid as the chelating agent. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012