(685c) A Variety of Surface-Engineered Membranes

We have developed a variety of novel surface-engineered porous/microporous membranes for different membrane separation techniques over the years. The separation techniques involved more often than not principles involved in immobilizing gas-liquid, liquid-liquid interfaces at membrane pore mouths. Conventional membrane separation techniques have also been used.  We will provide a brief overview of these surface-engineered membranes and the associated separation and other applications. The processes/techniques where these have been applied are: direct contact membrane distillation for desalination; pervaporation for biofuel separation from dilute broths; membrane solvent back extraction using porous hydrophilic membranes; supported liquid membranes and membrane contactors for CO₂ separation; polypropylene (PP) substrate-based interfacially polymerized membranes for nanofiltration; integrated filtration-chromatography process; thermo-sensitive membrane for controlled release. The membrane surface engineering utilized plasma polymerization, interfacial polymerization, PEI insolubilization and crosslinking, PP surface hydrophilization etc. The structures created superhydrophobic surfaces, smaller surface pore sizes, composite layers having different hydrophobicities, hydrophilic-hydrophobic membranes, thermosensitive surface grafts etc.