Modification of Membrane Based on Gamma-Ray Irradiation Method: Preparation of PVDF-g-PMAM Membrane and Its Anti-Fouling Performance

Abstract

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were created utilizing the non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) approach in this study, then gamma-ray irradiation was applied to form the PVDF-g-PMAM membrane. FTIR and XPS were used to examine the chemical structure of the membrane before and after irradiation. The DSC curves of membranes showed that grafting poly methylacrylamide (PMAM) caused a drop in the melting point of the modified PVDF-g-PMAM membrane. The SEM characterization showed that gamma-ray irradiation did not damage the microstructure of the membrane cross-section, and the distribution of micropores on the membrane surface was more dense and uniform. The insertion of hydrophilic PMAM greatly accelerates the initial contact angle and contact angle decline rate of the PVDF-g-PMAM membrane, illustrating that the membrane’s hydrophilicity has been effectively improved. Finally, after testing of permeability and rejection of different membranes, the result demonstrated good anti-fouling performance.