CATEGORY: MEMBRANES
Desalination and Water Treatment, Published
online: 11 Feb 2013, DOI:10.1080/19443994.2013.765365
Characterization
of polymeric membranes for membrane distillation using atomic force microscopy
Mohammad Mahdi A. Shirazi a, Dariush Bastani b, Ali Kargari c* &
Meisam Tabatabaei d
a Young Researchers and Elites Club, Omidieh Branch, Islamic Azad University,
P.O. Box 164, Omidieh, Iran
b Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of
Technology, Tehran, Iran
c Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical
Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr
Campus, Mahshahr, Iran
d Biofuels Research Team (BRTeam), Department of Microbial Biotechnology and
Biosafety, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII),
Karaj, Iran
Abstract
Membrane
distillation (MD) is an under-developed separation process. Consequently, specific membranes for MD
applications are not yet commercially available. Currently, microporous
polymeric membranes made of hydrophobic materials fabricated for
microfiltration purposes are commonly used for MD applications.
Characterization of such membranes is required in order to achieve a better
in-depth understanding of their performance and to fabricate specific membranes
for MD process.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis is an emerging
characterization method. AFM is a novel high-resolution method which can be
used to study the surface topography of various types of membrane. 3D images of
the membrane surface can be obtained directly without special sample
preparation. This results in a truer and clearer picture of the surface
structure of a polymeric membrane. Researchers employed AFM to characterize
three hydrophobic membranes (polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, and
polyvinylidene fluoride) which are typically used for various MD applications.
They characterized the membranes for their pore size, pore size distribution,
surface roughness, and hydrophobicity.
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