CHARACTERIZATION OF MEMBRANE DISTILLATION MEMBRANES PREPARED BY PHASEINVERSION

In this paper, flat membrane distillation membranes have been successf ully manufactured from PVDF/DMAc and PVDF/DMF blends by using phase in version induced by an immersion precipitation technique. The structure of the membranes is asymmetric with a porous top layer and macrovoids , as assessed by SEM. The existence of MD fluxes in these membranes is established by performing various pure water flux experiments. A maxi mum in the MD fluxes for a particular value of the polymer content in the casting solution from which the membrane is manufactured has been observed. The dependence of the magnitude of the fluxes on the membran e thickness is also discussed and the influence of temperature polariz ation evaluated.