Supporting Polyvinylchloride Polymeric Blend Membrane with Coated Woven Fabric

Abstract

<span class="fontstyle0">Blend reverse osmosis membranes were fabricated using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with cellulose acetate (CA) as polymer blends. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were used as solvents. The membrane polymer solution was cast on a coated woven fabric support material. The prepared membranes have been characterized by SEM and mechanical properties. SEM results prove that the prepared membranes are smooth and their pores are distributed throughout the entire surface and bulk body of the membrane without any visible cracks. The stress-strain mechanical test indicates an excellent mechanical behavior. The membranes performance results show that the salt rejection reached 98.4% at a concentration of 20000 ppm with high flux under pressure of up to 50 bars. Thus, in turn, the prepared membranes can be applied for sea and brackish water desalination through reverse osmosis technology. Also, the prepared membrane was compared with membranes without support and membranes with commercial suppor.</span>