Cellulose acetate and sulfonated polysulfone blend ultrafiltration membranes. II. Pore statistics, molecular weight cutoff, and morphological studies

The determination of the pore size, porosity, number of pores, molecular weight cutoff (MWCO), and morphology of an ultrafiltration membrane is necessary for predicting the performance of a membrane for a specific application. For ultrafiltration membranes prepared from cellulose acetate and sulfonated polysulfone in the presence and absence of various concentrations of the additive poly(ethylene glycol) 600, pore statistics and MWCOs were determined in studies with dextrans of different molecular weights. Surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the membranes were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy at different magnifications. The pore size increased with increasing concentrations of sulfonated polysulfone and additive in the casting solution. Similarly, the MWCOs of the membranes ranged from 19 to 150 kDa, depending on the various polymer blend compositions and additive concentrations. Results from scanning electron microscopy provided qualitative evidence for the trends observed for the pore statistics and MWCO results. (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Inc.