Effect of Molecular Weight and Chemical Structure of Terminal Groups on the Properties of Porous Hollow Fiber Polysulfone Membranes

For the first time, polysulfones (PSFs) were synthesized with chlorine and hydroxyl terminal groups and studied for the task of producing porous hollow fiber membranes. The synthesis was carried out in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at various excesses of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (Bisphenol A) and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone, as well as at an equimolar ratio of monomers in various aprotic solvents. The synthesized polymers were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and the coagulation values of 2 wt.% PSF polymer solutions in N-methyl-2-pyrollidone were determined. According to GPC data, PSFs were obtained in a wide range of molecular weights M(w) from 22 to 128 kg/mol. NMR analysis confirmed the presence of terminal groups of a certain type in accordance with the use of the corresponding monomer excess in the synthesis process. Based on the obtained results on the dynamic viscosity of dope solutions, promising samples of the synthesized PSF were selected to produce porous hollow fiber membranes. The selected polymers had predominantly –OH terminal groups and their molecular weight was in the range of 55–79 kg/mol. It was found that porous hollow fiber membrane from PSF with M(w) 65 kg/mol (synthesized in DMAc with an excess of Bisphenol A 1%) has a high helium permeability of 45 m(3)/m(2)∙h∙bar and selectivity α (He/N(2)) = 2.3. This membrane is a good candidate to be used as a porous support for thin-film composite hollow fiber membrane fabrication.