Investigation of different molecular weight Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) polymer for the fabrication and performance of braid hollow fiber membranes

Abstract

In the current study, braid reinforced membranes were fabricated from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymers with two different molecular weights, and the blending of the polymers in a 1:1 ratio to upgrade the performance of the membrane. Characterization, filtration studies, and membrane bioreactor (MBR) application were done to evaluate membrane performance by applying the same operation conditions on each membrane. Characterization studies indicated that the fabricated membrane from blending polymers was a hydrophilic structure with a contact angle of 50.78° and smoother surface properties compared to the other fabricated membranes. According to the MBR results, at the end of the operation process, TMP levels of the membrane from the blending method are found 150 mbar, membrane from high molecular weight PVDF polymer had 250 mbar, and membrane from low molecular weight PVDF polymer had 800 mbar. As a consequence of the investigation, it is seen that the hydrophilic structure of the membrane allows the pollutant to adsorb less to the blend membrane surface, and the lower roughness is also a factor in reducing fouling.