Fabrication of a PPS Microporous Membrane for Efficient Water-in-Oil Emulsion Separation

Abstract

Separation of emulsified water/oil mixtures is a worldwide concern. However, poor chemical and solvent resistance of general polymeric membranes limit these membranes for application in the separation process. In this study, a poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) porous membrane with a rough concave topographic feature was fabricated, which exhibited excellent superoleophilicity and under-oil superhydrophobicity. The membrane is capable of separating both surfactant-free and surfactant-stabilized emulsions with a high flux. All of the water contents of the treated oils were below 300 ppm. The excellent water resistance property and cycling performance support the PPS membrane displaying an excellent reusability. Additionally, this PPS membrane was also certified to be used in strong solvents for a long time. In conclusion, the successful application of the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method may provide a new approach to fabricate the PPS membrane and improve its properties, and the application of the PPS membrane to separate water-in-oil emulsions is promising in practical applications.