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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
12:37
Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
Published on: September 4, 2015
Controlling Thermodynamic and Kinetic on Ion-Mediated Nonsolvent-Induced Phase Separation.
Mohammad Aadil1,2, Muhammad Tayyab Khalid1,2, Tae-Hyun Bae3
1Jeju Global Research Center (JGRC), Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), 200, Haemajihaean-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju, Jeju Specific Self-Governing Province 63357, South Korea.
ACS Omega
|June 29, 2026
Summary
A new ion-mediated phase separation (IMPS) method uses salts and additives to improve sustainable membrane fabrication with the polar solvent Clean. This energy-efficient process enhances solvent removal and membrane structure.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Polar Clean is a sustainable solvent for membrane fabrication but presents challenges in solvent removal and structural integrity due to its high boiling point and polymer affinity.
- Conventional methods struggle to efficiently remove polar solvents and preserve membrane structure, limiting sustainable fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a nonthermal ion-mediated phase separation (IMPS) strategy to decouple solvent extraction from thermal processing for improved membrane fabrication.
- To investigate the effects of chloride salts and hydrophilic additives on poly-(ether sulfone) membrane formation using polar solvents.
Main Methods:
- Systematic examination of chloride salts (CaCl2, NaCl, NH4Cl) and hydrophilic additives (PEG/PVP) in poly-(ether sulfone) membrane formation.
- Utilized cloud-point analysis for thermodynamic effects and kinetic analysis for demixing behavior.
- Evaluated solvent removal, flux, molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), and morphology of fabricated membranes.
Main Results:
- Kosmotropic salts destabilized the dope, shifting the binodal boundary to lower water concentrations.
- Additive-free systems formed dense skin layers, hindering solvent release; hydrophilic additives alleviated this by enhancing pore connectivity.
- The optimized NH4Cl/PEG system achieved 99.8% solvent removal, a flux of 782 ± 17 LMH bar⁻¹, an MWCO of 79 kDa, and an interconnected porous morphology.
Conclusions:
- The IMPS strategy offers a robust and energy-efficient platform for sustainable membrane fabrication, overcoming limitations of conventional green solvents.
- This method provides mechanistic tunability for creating high-performance membranes with improved solvent removal and structural integrity.
- IMPS represents a significant advancement in sustainable materials processing for membrane technology.
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