Separation and Purification Technology, Volume 118, 2013, Pages 604-611.
M.T. Darestani, T.C. Chilcott, H.G.L. Coster
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Abstract
In this study, PVDF membranes were electrically poled under controlled conditions. Microstructure analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that electrical poling changed the microstructure and surface topography of the membranes. Filtration tests using sodium alginate were performed to investigate the effect of electrical poling on the separation performance of the membranes. Poled membranes were found to have a lower molecular weight cut-off and a somewhat reduced hydraulic permeability.