Towards green membranes: preparation of cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes using methyl lactate as a biosolvent

Yaocihuatl Medina-Gonzalez (1) , Pierre Aimar (1) , J.-F. Lahitte (1) , Jean-Christophe Remigy (1)

1 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

Ultrafiltration membranes were prepared using cellulose acetate (CA) as a polymer, LiCl and CaCl2 as porogens and methyl-(S)-lactate as a solvent. CA, methyl lactate and the porogens used in this work are obtained from renewable resources; they are biodegradable, non-toxic and non-volatile organic compounds. Flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by the phase inversion technique. A molecular weight cut-off between 15 and 35 kDa (polyethylene glycol) and pure water permeability between 13 and 177 litres h21m22 bar21 were obtained. These parameters are in the ideal range for water treatment industry. Improvement of pollutant degree and ecotoxicity of the process was evaluated by ‘green’ metrics by the P (pollutants, persistent and bioaccumulative) and E (ecotoxicity) parameters. Both of these variables were recorded as zero using our method. This study represents a step ahead towards the production of ultrafiltration polymeric membranes by a‘greener’ process than current methods.

Mots clés: Biosolvents; Green membranes; Methyl lactate; Polysulphone; Ultrafiltration

Domaines: Génie chimique

Yaocihuatl Medina-Gonzalez, Pierre Aimar, J.-F. Lahitte, Jean-Christophe Remigy. Towards green membranes: preparation of cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes using methyl lactate as a biosolvent. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, 2011, vol. 4 (n° 1), pp. 75-83. ⟨10.1080/19397038.2010.497230⟩. ⟨hal-01286567⟩