Effect of Chloromethylated Polyethersulfone on the Phase Inversion Kinetics of Copoly(Phthalazinone Biphenyl Ether Sulfone) Blend System and the Membrane Property

ABSTRACT To clarify the phase inversion kinetics of chloromethylated polyethersulfone (CMPES)/copoly(phthalazinone biphenyl ether sulfone) (PPBES) blend system, and effect on the property of blend ultrafiltration (UF) membrane, the effect of composition of the casting solution polymer concentration, blend ratio, and ethylene glycol methyl ether (EGME) concentration on the gel front displacement the casting solution and the effective diffusivity of water were systematically investigated. Then, the CMPES/PPBES blend UF membranes were fabricated by nonsolvent phase separation method, and the morphology, water flux and retention rate were estimated. When the polymer concentration and EGME concentration increased, the phase separation rate decreased; the membrane pore structure and performance were improved. After the optimization, the CMPES/PPBES membrane has a retention rate of 99.0% for bovine serum albumin and 82.0% for PEG, with a water flux of 290.5 L/(m ‐2 h ‐1 ). This study revealed the effect of CMPES on the gel kinetics of the blend system and the structure and property of the blend membrane, providing a key theoretical guidance for the preparation of high selective UF membranes.