pela co-orientação, imprescindível para a realização desta pesquisa; Ao meu marido, Claiton, e meus filhos, Lucas e Carolina, pelo carinho, apoio, incentivo e paciência; Aos meus pais, Togo e Ivone, pelo imenso apoio e pelo constante incentivo;A Luana Di Beo Rodrigues, Cristiane Naomi Kamikawachi, Karolina da Silva Borgo, Guilherme Yamakita e Cláudia Nunes, pela enorme colaboração na realização deste trabalho;Aos amigos do CIRRA, que de alguma forma estiveram presentes, me apoiando sempre; À Solvay Química do Brasil Ltda., em especial à Mônica Freire Dias Martins, pelo fornecimento da polissulfona; À Crane Nonwovens, pela doação dos suportes inertes para a fabricação das membranas; À FAPESP pelo financiamento dessa pesquisa;
ABSTRACTA major obstacle to be overcome in order to have a greater use of membrane technology in liquids purification is the phenomenon of fouling. As a consequence, the development of membranes less prone to fouling is now the objective of numerous studies. Among the processes evaluated, the development of thin film composite membranes has has been the focus of many researches since it is possible to improve each layer independently, in order to improve the membrane performance as a whole.This work aimed to study the synthesis and characterization of thin film composite chitosan, crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, and polysulfone (PSF) membranes. PSF ultrafiltration membranes were produced by phase inversion via immersion precipitation to be used as porous support for the chitosan layer. The influence of PSF concentration in the polymeric solution; temperature of synthesis; air humidity, and membrane nonwoven support, CU414 and CU424 (Crane Nonwovens), on the membrane characteristics and performance were studied. The effect polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, between PSF and chitosan layers, on the cast membrane structural stability was investigated. The influence of glutaraldehyde as a chitosan crosslinking agent on membrane selectivity, permeability, chemical stability, and toxicity was also evaluated. The results showed that increasing PSF concentration, decreasing temperature and increasing air humidity resulted in less porous membranes.The support media used were not suitable for the production of PSF membranes under the conditions used in this work due to its high porosity. The solution used to crosslink the PVA layer, composed of glutaraldehyde in aqueous solution of acetone, attacked the support media and the PSF membrane, preventing the application of the PVA layer between the PSF and chitosan layers. The use of glutaraldehyde as a chitosan crosslinking agent made the membrane less rough and more hydrophilic. Additionally, increasing glutaraldehyde concentration in the chitosan solution led to a decrease in membrane permeability, wich was attibutted to a compaction of the membrane structure, leading to a decreased mobility of polymer chains and a decrease in the membrane void volume.Membranes separation capacity was evaluated using two different ionic solutions...