Poly(vinylidene fluoride) with improved functionalization for membrane production

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was modified by chemical treatments in ord er to obtain a functionalized polymer suitable for the preparation of ultra filtration membranes with improved hydrophilicity and fouling resistance. M embranes obtained from the modified polymer as well as from the unmodified one were characterized through pure water permeability measurements and ult rafiltration tests with a dilute solution of skim milk. The fouling tendenc y of the membranes was measured from the relative reduction in water permea bility before and after ultrafiltration. Dense films were also prepared and characterized through contact angle measurement in order to obtain a preli minary evaluation of the hydrophobicity. Vibrational spectroscopy (FT-IR an d FT-Raman) techniques were effectively used to investigate the functionali ties introduced by the chemical treatments. (C)2000 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.