Characterization of CO2 plasma treated polymeric membranes and quantification of flux enhancement

Low-temperature CO2 plasma is used for the treatment of poly-ethersulfone (PES), polyamide (PA) and poly-phenylene ethersulfone (PPE) ultrafiltration membranes. This has led to significant enhancement of the wetting characteristics of the membrane surface as is shown by contact angle measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum analysis of the treated membranes. Changes in the physical characteristics of the surface, such as tensile property, surface roughness, etc. are quantified by tensile strength measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. An increase in the measured values of the di-electric constants further highlights the hydrophilic modification of the surface. A series of ultrafiltration experiments using a BSA solution of known concentration under different operating conditions is performed and the deposition thicknesses over the membrane surface during ultrafiltration are measured directly using image analyzing microscopy. The results clearly demonstrate that a plasma treated PES membrane is more hydrophilic with smoother surface and resists fouling leading to significant enhancement of permeate flux.