Effect of Polymer Composition in Polyvinylidene Fluoridde Membrane Performance

• Main Author: Lamsinar Simamora, Abednego
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/37898
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The composition of casting solution determines the characteristics of a membrane. In this research, the effects of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composition on the characteristics of membrane were studied. The membranes were prepared by phase inversion method. The composition of PVDF was varied between 15 to 21% w/w, while 5% w/w of the polyethyleneglycol (PEG400) was used as additive and the N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as solvent. The resulting membranes were characterized by analyzing their permeability, selectivity, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity and membrane morphology. It was found that the membrane permeability decreased when the polymer content increased, i.e 56 L/h.m2 in 15% w/w of PVDF and 10,7 L/h.m2 in 21% w/w of PVDF. Higher PVDF content in the casting solution resulted in higher membrane hydrophobicity, indicated by larger contact angle observed in membrane with 21% of PVDF (156o). Moreover, it also increased membrane selectivity for dextran and mechanical strength. Membranes composed of 21% w/w PVDF gave 83,7% of rejection for 500 kDa dextran solution and the mechanical strength was 9.08 MPa. The analysis of membrane morphology using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that the pore structure was asymmetric. It can be concluded that membranes composed of 17% w/w of PVDF showed an optimum membrane selectivity and permeability.