Dimethyl isosorbide (DMI)a well-known biobased
high boiling green solventwas used for the first time in the
preparation of poly(vinylidene fluoride)- and poly(ether sulfone)-based
membranes. Preliminary thermodynamic (Hansen and Hildebrand solubility
parameters, relative energy difference) and kinetic (viscosity) studies
on DMI confirmed that this solvent possesses the required physical/chemical
properties to be exploited in casting membranes. Membranes were prepared
by nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) and a combination of
vapor induced phase separation (VIPS)-NIPS techniques varying the
exposure time to humidity. This latter approach led to the formation
of membranes with a porous architecture avoiding the use of any pore
forming additive. The so-prepared membranes were, then, fully characterized
in terms of morphology, polymorphism (in case of PVDF), wettability,
thickness, porosity, pore size, and water permeability. The membranes
revealed different structures and a tunable pore size in the range
of ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) that render them
ideal for applications in water treatment processes.
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