Preparation and Filtration Performance of Different Structure Polyethersulfone Fibrious Membranes

The objectives of this study were to prepare different structures of polyethersulfone (PES) fibrous membranes by electrospinning technology. The morphology and porosity of PES fibrous membranes were systematically studied. Polystyrene (PS) with 0.5 μm and 0.2 μm was used as submicron particle template to study the filtration performance. The results represent that the porosity and flux of PES fibrous membranes with bead structure are higher than those of the smooth one. However, the rejection rate is lower. Meanwhile, the porosity and flux of PES fibrous membranes decrease and the rejection increases with the increase of the thickness of PES fibrous membranes. The rejection mechanism of PES fibrous membranes was explored through comparing the rejection to different size PS microspheres. Finally, the antifouling performance of the fiber membranes was also studied. It is found that the fiber membrane with bead structure has better antifouling performance than the smooth one. The prepared PES fiber filter membranes are expected to separate submicron particles efficiently in the sewage purification process. © 2020, Editorial Board of Polymer Materials Science & Engineering. All right reserved.