Hydrophilic polyethersulfone-based microfiltration membranes by electrospinning of polymer blends

Polyethersulfone (PES) is considered one of the most popular polymers used for the fabrication of microfiltration membranes. In this study, we demonstrate the preparation of PES nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning technique for water purification. The amphiphilic polyethyleneoxide/polypropylenoxide multiblock copolymer (Tetronic 901) was used to improve the hydrophilicity of the relatively hydrophobic PES membrane. The water contact angle measurements confirmed the improvement of the hydrophilicity of the blended membrane surfaces. The effect of Tetronic additive on the morphology of the electrospun nanofibers as well as on the stability and performance of the prepared membranes was studied. The results indicated that the water permeability of the blended membranes was higher than that of original PES membrane. After membranes cleaning, the permeability loss decreased from 68% for PES membrane to only 34% for the 3 wt% Tetronic-containing PES membrane, indicating less fouling tendency of the polymer blend membranes.