PAN filtration membranes with extended solvent stability

This work focuses on preparation of PAN membranes stable in aprotic solvents. Laboratory samples of PAN with different molecular weight were synthesized by varying the polymerization conditions. Membranes were prepared by non-solvent induced phase inversion method. Membranes prepared with higher molecular weight PAN had stable separation characteristics at pressures up to 30 bar and higher retention but lower permeability than for membranes prepared from PAN with lower molecular weight. At the same time membranes from PAN with lower molecular weight had higher but unstable in time permeabilities. The retention of Bovine serum albumin (Mw = 69 kDa) from water solutions reached the value up to 98%. After IR irradiation treatment membrane permeability for water were the same as for initial membranes and varied from 5 to 1500 kg/m2·h·bar. At the same time PAN membranes was stable toward aprotic solvents NMP, DMSO, DMFA, DMAA although initial polymer was soluble in such solvents.