Investigation of the pore structure and morphology of cellulose acetate membranes using small-angle neutron scattering. 1: Cellulose acetate active layer membranes

Journal Article · Mon Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Macromolecules; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ma00101a016· OSTI ID:6667558

Kulkarni, S; Krause, S ^[1]; Wignall, G D ^[2]; Hammouda, B ^[3]

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1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Solid State Div.
3. National Inst. of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States). Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering

The structure of ultrathin cellulose acetate membranes, known as active layer membranes, has been investigated using small-angle neutron scattering. These membranes are known to have structural and functional similarity to the surface or skin layer in commercial reverse-osmosis (RO) membranes and hence are useful model systems for understanding the structure of the RO membrane skin layer. Active layer membranes were studied after swelling them with either D[sub 2]O or CD[sub 3]OD. The results in both cases clearly indicated the presence of very small (10--20 [angstrom]) porous structures in the membrane. The presence of such pores has been a subject of long-standing controversy in this area. The data were analyzed using a modified Debye-Bueche analysis and the resultant membrane structure was seen to agree well with structural information from electron microscopic studies. Finally, a possible explanation for the differences in scattering observed between the D[sub 2]O swollen membranes and the CD[sub 3]OD swollen membranes has been presented.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6667558
• Journal Information: Macromolecules; (United States), Vol. 27:23; ISSN 0024-9297
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CELLULOSE ESTERS
PORE STRUCTURE
MEMBRANES
ACETATES
HEAVY WATER
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METHANOL
OSMOSIS
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SMALL ANGLE SCATTERING
ALCOHOLS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
DIFFUSION
ESTERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROSTRUCTURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SCATTERING
WATER
360602* - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies
400105 - Separation Procedures