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Published on: March 27, 2019
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Surface characterization data for tethered polyacrylic acid layers synthesized on polysulfone surfaces
Soomin Kim1, Kari J Moses1, Shivani Sharma2,3
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Data in Brief
|August 3, 2019
Summary
This study characterizes polyacrylic acid (PAA) layers grafted onto polysulfone (PSf) membranes using plasma polymerization. The modified membranes show reduced fouling, indicating improved performance for ultrafiltration applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Polysulfone (PSf) membranes are widely used in ultrafiltration (UF).
- Surface modification of PSf can enhance membrane performance and reduce fouling.
- Atmospheric pressure plasma-induced graft polymerization (APPIGP) is a technique for surface functionalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize tethered polyacrylic acid (PAA) layers on PSf film/membrane surfaces.
- To evaluate the fouling propensity of PAA-grafted PSf membranes using alginic acid as a model foulant.
Main Methods:
- Atmospheric pressure plasma-induced graft polymerization (APPIGP) for PAA grafting.
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for surface topography and force spectroscopy (AFM-FS) for chain analysis.
- Water contact angle measurements and layer thickness determination.
- Ultrafiltration experiments with alginic acid to assess fouling.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of tethered PAA layers on PSf surfaces was confirmed.
- AFM revealed changes in surface morphology and PAA chain characteristics.
- PAA grafting reduced water contact angles, indicating increased hydrophilicity.
- PAA-grafted PSf membranes exhibited significantly lower fouling propensity compared to native membranes.
Conclusions:
- APPIGP is an effective method for grafting PAA onto PSf membranes.
- The PAA modification enhances membrane surface properties and reduces fouling.
- These findings suggest potential for improved UF membrane performance in treating foulants like alginic acid.
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