Interfacial Polymerization Demonstrationmembrane.ces.utexas.edu/.../07/InterfacialPolymerizationDemonstrat… · Interfacial Polymerization Demonstrated by Dr. Bill Mickols Compelid

Demonstration ofInterfacial Polymerization

Demonstrated by Dr. Bill Mickols

Compiled by Wei Xie & Hua Li

Presented by Benny Freeman Research Group

The University of Texas at Austin

Feb. 2010

Protocol 2

• 2. Mount polysulfone support on a frame.

Protocol 2: Mount polysulfone support on a frame

Protocol 3

• 3. Immerse in 3.0% MPD for over 1 hour.

Protocol 4

• 4. Place a piece of paper towel on the PMMA plate. Place the MPD imbibed polysulfone support on top. Roll water soaked rubber roller over top to remove water droplets.

Protocol 4:Roll rubber roller over top to remove water droplets

Protocol 5

• 5. Place 1/4 inch thick silicone sheet with hole cut in on the support membrane and the PMMA frame on top. Clamp with strong clamps.

Protocol 5:Place silicone gasket and frame on top

Protocol 6

• 6. Pour 75 ml of 5 mM TMC (in dry dodecane) over the surface. Let react for 1 min.

Protocol 6: react with TMC-dodecane solution

Protocol 7

• 7. Pour excess off. Disassemble frame. Mount back on PMMA frame.Rinse the surface with 75 ml of hexane. Allow to evaporate for 1 min.

Protocol 7:Disassemble frame and rinse with hexane

Protocol 8

• 8. Place in water until testing.

Dye test on IP membranes

Rejection: 98.7%, Flux: 35.8 LMH Rejection: 78.4%, Flux: 45.9 LMH

Experimental conditions: cross-flow filtration, pressure = 225 psig, feed = 2000ppm NaCl water solution, feed flow rate = 0.5 gpm.

ATTENTION!!! – Expert’s alarm!

• 1) MPD has a reasonable vapor pressure. Never breath the fumes and use it in a hood.

• 2) TMC does not have a vapor pressure but it readily degrades to TMA and HCL GAS. Opening a sealed bottle will give off HCL gas and could cause lung damage if you breathed a large quantity.

• 3) Hexane is very volatile, so no flames or sparks.

• 4) Never handle the surface of the polysulfone.

• 5) The pictures show a good example of the little bubbles. These are due to the nipping (rubber roller) operation. Clean up the drops of MPD behind the polysulfone. Then put a fresh paper towel between the sheet and the support to absorb the MPD drops.