(819g) Rheological Properties of Disulfonated Poly(arylene ether sulfone)s Plasticized With Poly(ethylene glycol) for Desalination Membrane Formation

Disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) is of interest as a desalination membrane material because of the excellent chlorine resistance. Disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)  thin film composite membranes can potentially be prepared via a solvent-free coextrusion process with a polypropylene support layer with the aid of proper plasticizers. This offers the promise of preparing desalination membranes by a more efficient, environmentally friendlier process than is currently employed.

This presentation focuses on rheological studies to understand the flow behavior of disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol). The parameters studied include molecular weight, degree of sulfonation, chemical structure and temperature. Oscillatory shear flow using a rotational rheometer was used to investigate the effects of these parameters on the rheology.  The experimental data form a single curve using Bueche-Harding model. Based on this study, single layer extruded membranes were obtained and processing conditions for coextrusion were identified.