Preparation of Polyphenylene Sulfide Microfiltration Membrane via TIPS for the Purification of Wet Chemicals

The particle in wet chemicals is an important factor affecting the quality. The prevention and removal of particles are critical research topics. Packaging with clean materials is an effective but expensive way to ensure the quality of wet chemicals. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) stands out as a polymer material with exceptional resistance to high temperatures and various solvents. It is also a potential membrane material that meets the solvent and temperature resistance requirements for the separation and purification of various wet chemicals, particularly in harsh separation environments. The thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method is employed in the fabrication of PPS membranes. Thanks to a reasonable formula and temperature control, the structures of PPS membranes are prepared through a simple process, which achieves a higher permeation flux eventually. The relationship between the structure and properties of the membranes is explored by changing the temperature of the cooling bath. The microstructure of the membranes varies with the temperature of cooling bath. In addition, a lower cooling temperature results in a higher flux. The membrane cooled in a 20 ℃ water bath, reaches 909 L/(m²·h·bar) (1 bar=0.1 MPa) for hexane flux. After immersing the membrane in hydrochloric acid and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) for 14 d, the PPS membrane shows great solvent resistance. The rejection of the membrane still approaches over 95%. Overall, this study highlights the potential application of polyphenylene sulfide membranes in wet chemicals, offering an economical and efficient way to removing particles in harsh environments. Eventually, it focuses on achieving the purification of wet electronic chemicals, solvent recovery, and reducing the costs of production.