Abstract
Triethanol amine (TEA) was introduced as a modifier to hydrophilize poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and enhance the permeation flux by changing the membrane morphology. (PVC/ TEA) have been prepared by solution blending. The compatibility and the miscibility of PVC/TEA blends in THF were studied and characterized. Modifications of the surface morphology, wet ability and porosity are proved by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, contact angle measurements and permeability, respectively. It was found a better wet ability, permeability, and porosity of the modified PVC films than that of the membranes made from pure PVC. PVC/TEA membranes were characterized by FTIR, morphologically using SEM, thermally using TGA, and mechanically using universal testing machine. Permeation flux of PVC/TEA membranes was10947 L/D/M2 and salt rejection performance for mono layer membrane was 33.7 % for 3%NaCl solution. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) for (PVC/TEA) membrane was 2.5 meq/gm., whereas contact angle and water uptake were44.12 and 21% at room temperature, respectively. The results showed that the permeate quality and quantity are almost stable upon long run, thus PVC/TEA membranes can be used effectively for water treatment purification.