The effects of flow angle and shear rate within the spinneret on the separation performance of poly (ethersulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration hollow fiber membranes

Wang, KY; Matsuura, T; Chung, TS; Guo, WF

HERO ID

3578047

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2004

HERO ID 3578047
In Press No
Year 2004
Title The effects of flow angle and shear rate within the spinneret on the separation performance of poly (ethersulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration hollow fiber membranes
Authors Wang, KY; Matsuura, T; Chung, TS; Guo, WF
Journal Journal of Membrane Science
Volume 240
Issue 1-2
Page Numbers 67-79
Abstract The effects of dope flow rate and flow angle within a spinneret during spinning hollow fiber membranes on the morphology, water permeability and separation performance of poly(ethersulfone) ultrafiltration hollow fiber membranes were investigated. For this purpose, two spinnerets with different flow angles were designed and used. The dope solution, containing polyethersulphone (PES)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/diethylene glycol (DG) with a weight ratio of 23/41/36, which was very close to its cloud point (binodal line), was used in order to speed up the coagulation of nascent fibers so that the relaxation effect on molecular orientation was reduced. The wet-spinning process was purposely chosen to fabricate the hollow fibers without extra drawing. Therefore, the effects of gravity and elongation stress on fiber formation could be significantly reduced and the orientation induced by shear stress within the spinneret could be frozen into the wet-spun fibers. Experimental results suggest that higher dope flow rates (shear rates) in the spinneret produce UF hollow fiber membranes with smaller pore sizes and denser skin layers due to the enhanced molecular orientation. Hence, the pore size and the water permeability decrease, but the solute separation increases. Hollow fibers spun from a conical spinneret have smaller mean pore sizes with larger geometric standard deviations, thus exhibiting lower water flux and greater solute separation than hollow fibers spun from a traditional straight spinneret. In addition. SEM studies indicate macrovoids response differently for the 90degrees straight and 60degrees conical spinnerets when increasing the dope flow rate. Macrovoids can be significantly suppressed and almost disappear in the 90degrees spinneret at high dope flow rates. This phenomenon cannot be observed for the 60degrees conic spinneret. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Doi 10.1016/j.memsci.2004.04.012
Wosid WOS:000223160200007
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Keyword ultrafiltration; flow angle; shear rate; pore size; macrovoids; polyethersulfone