Preparation of bi‐continuous poly(acrylonitrile‐<i>co</i>‐methyl acrylate) microporous membranes by a thermally induced phase separation method

Abstract

ABSTRACT Poly(acrylonitrile‐ co ‐methyl acrylate) [P(AN‐MA)] flat microfiltration membranes were successfully prepared via the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method, by using low polar caprolactam (CPL) and methoxypolyethylene glycol 550 (MPEG 550) as the mixed diluent. In this work, P(AN‐MA) membranes exhibit bi‐continuous networks, porous surfaces, high porosity, and big pore size, when membrane fabricated from a high MPEG 550 content, low P(AN‐MA) concentration, and small cooling rate, it can be dry state preservation and do not need to be impregnated by any solvent. When the ternary system was composed of 15 wt % P(AN‐MA), 12.5 wt % CPL, and 87.5 wt % MPEG 550, formed at 25 °C air bath, membrane has the highest water flux of 4420 L m −2 h −1 . The obtained P(AN‐AN) membrane displays a high carbonic black ink rejection ranging from 83.7 to 98.5 wt %. Moreover, P(AN‐MA) polymer not only retains the advantages of PAN but also reduces the polar component from 16.2 to 10.77 MPa 0.5. It can be used membrane matrix to obtain pore structure and excellent mechanical property membrane via TIPS. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 46173.