Comparison of two low-hazard organic solvents as individual and cosolvents for the fabrication of polysulfone membranes

Xiaobo Dong; Halle D. Shannon; Caleb Parker; Samantha De Jesus; Isabel C. Escobar

doi:10.1002/aic.16790

Comparison of two low-hazard organic solvents as individual and cosolvents for the fabrication of polysulfone membranes

Xiaobo Dong, Halle D. Shannon, Caleb Parker, Samantha De Jesus, Isabel C. Escobar

Chemical and Materials Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Petroleum-derived solvents commonly used in membrane fabrication are often hazardous and toxic, so the investigation of safer alternatives is important. In this study, two low-hazard solvents, methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate (Rhodiasolv® PolarClean) and gamma-valerolactone (GVL), were investigated as sole solvents and as cosolvents to cast polysulfone membranes via nonsolvent induced phase inversion. Normalized viscosity was introduced as an indicator of dope solution homogeneity and was used to compare the required time of mixing to achieve full dissolution of the polymer in the different solvents/solvent mixtures. All dope solutions made with low-hazard solvents were found to be more viscous than those made with traditional solvents, which meant additional mixing time was needed, and that fabricated membranes were morphologically different. With respect to operation, membranes cast from dope solutions containing equal amounts of PolarClean and GVL displayed the most similar flux curves and solute rejection to those made using the traditional solvent tested.

Original language	English
Article number	e16790
Journal	AICHE Journal
Volume	66
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.16790
State	Published - Jan 1 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM.

Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Keywords

low-hazard solvents
nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS)
normalized viscosity (NV)
polymeric membranes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biotechnology
Environmental Engineering
Chemical Engineering (all)

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10.1002/aic.16790

Cite this

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title = "Comparison of two low-hazard organic solvents as individual and cosolvents for the fabrication of polysulfone membranes",

abstract = "Petroleum-derived solvents commonly used in membrane fabrication are often hazardous and toxic, so the investigation of safer alternatives is important. In this study, two low-hazard solvents, methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate (Rhodiasolv{\textregistered} PolarClean) and gamma-valerolactone (GVL), were investigated as sole solvents and as cosolvents to cast polysulfone membranes via nonsolvent induced phase inversion. Normalized viscosity was introduced as an indicator of dope solution homogeneity and was used to compare the required time of mixing to achieve full dissolution of the polymer in the different solvents/solvent mixtures. All dope solutions made with low-hazard solvents were found to be more viscous than those made with traditional solvents, which meant additional mixing time was needed, and that fabricated membranes were morphologically different. With respect to operation, membranes cast from dope solutions containing equal amounts of PolarClean and GVL displayed the most similar flux curves and solute rejection to those made using the traditional solvent tested.",

keywords = "low-hazard solvents, nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS), normalized viscosity (NV), polymeric membranes",

author = "Xiaobo Dong and Shannon, {Halle D.} and Caleb Parker and {De Jesus}, Samantha and Escobar, {Isabel C.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers",

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AU - Parker, Caleb

AU - De Jesus, Samantha

AU - Escobar, Isabel C.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge that this work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement (grant number 1355438) and by the NSF KY EPSCoR Program. The authors acknowledge Solvay Novecare for providing PolarClean, Dr. Matthew Weisenburger in Center of Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, for his help with rheometer, and Dr. Wenxin Cao and Professor Fuqian Yang for their help on AFM. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

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N2 - Petroleum-derived solvents commonly used in membrane fabrication are often hazardous and toxic, so the investigation of safer alternatives is important. In this study, two low-hazard solvents, methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate (Rhodiasolv® PolarClean) and gamma-valerolactone (GVL), were investigated as sole solvents and as cosolvents to cast polysulfone membranes via nonsolvent induced phase inversion. Normalized viscosity was introduced as an indicator of dope solution homogeneity and was used to compare the required time of mixing to achieve full dissolution of the polymer in the different solvents/solvent mixtures. All dope solutions made with low-hazard solvents were found to be more viscous than those made with traditional solvents, which meant additional mixing time was needed, and that fabricated membranes were morphologically different. With respect to operation, membranes cast from dope solutions containing equal amounts of PolarClean and GVL displayed the most similar flux curves and solute rejection to those made using the traditional solvent tested.

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Comparison of two low-hazard organic solvents as individual and cosolvents for the fabrication of polysulfone membranes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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