Method for fabricating polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane by electrospinning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457325-B2
Application number	US-201414478830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for fabricating a polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane with improved mechanical strength for water treatment by electrospinning. According to exemplary embodiments, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane possesses higher mechanical strength than conventional polyethersulfone nanofiber membranes that are susceptible to damage and limited in life when applied to water treatment processes. In addition, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane has high water permeability and can remove contaminants with high efficiency compared to conventional membranes for water treatment. Therefore, the polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane is suitable for use in water treatment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane, comprising:
adding polyethersulfone to N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a solvent to prepare a spinning solution;
electrospinning the spinning solution to produce nanofibers; and
washing and solidifying the nanofibers in distilled water, following by drying in air,
wherein the content of the polyethersulfone in the spinning solution is from 30 to 35% by weight, based on the weight of the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, wherein the fibers water permeability is 80,000 Lmh/bar or more.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyethersulfone has an average molecular weight of 62 g/mol to 64 g/mol.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (2), the electrospinning is performed at a voltage of 8 to 13 kV.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (2), the spinning solution is discharged at a rate of 0.1 to 2 mL/hr.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (2), the spinning distance is from 10 to 25 cm.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in step (2), the electrospinning is performed at a temperature of 20 to 30° C.

7. A polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane fabricated by the method according to claim 1 .

8. The polyethersulfone nanofiber membrane according to claim 7 , wherein the nanofiber membrane has a thickness of 200 to 500 nm.

Assignees

• Gwangju Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Choi Heechul
• Park Hosik
• Bae Jiyeol

Classifications

• B01D67/0002

  Organic membrane manufacture · CPC title

• B01D2323/06

  Specific viscosities of materials involved · CPC title

• D10B2331/301

  polyarylene sulfides, e.g. polyphenylenesulfide · CPC title

• B01D71/68 Primary

  Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones · CPC title

• D04H1/4282

  Addition polymers · CPC title