Robust, Antifouling, and Hydrophilic Particle-Based Double-Network Hydrogel-PVDF Interpenetrating Microfiltration...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Environmental Engineering

Background:

• Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes are crucial for oily wastewater treatment but often lack sufficient hydrophilicity and antifouling properties.
• Developing advanced membranes with enhanced performance for separating oil/water emulsions remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create novel PVDF membranes with superior hydrophilicity and antifouling capabilities for effective oily wastewater treatment.
• To investigate the impact of an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure on membrane properties and separation performance.

Main Methods:

• A bulk modification strategy involving the in situ integration of PVDF with a particle-based double-network (PDN) hydrogel (poly-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate/polyacrylamide) was employed to form a PDN-PVDF IPN.
• The resulting PDN-PVDF solution was cast into microfiltration membranes using spray-assisted non-solvent-induced phase separation (SANIPS).

Main Results:

• The IPN structure effectively modulated the surface segregation of the hydrophilic PDN hydrogel during SANIPS, leading to enhanced membrane wettability.
• The fabricated PVDF/PDN membranes exhibited excellent bulk mechanical properties, high oil/water emulsion separation efficiency, and robust antifouling performance.
• The membranes demonstrated good chemical stability in strongly acidic and alkaline solutions.

Conclusions:

• The developed PDN-PVDF IPN membranes offer a promising solution for efficient and durable oily wastewater treatment.
• This work contributes to the advancement of phase-inversion-based materials for antifouling oil/water separation applications.