Mona Bigdeli - Department of Polymer Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Mahshahr Compus, Mahshahr, Iran
Ali Kargari - Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr Campus, Mahshahr, Iran
seyed Ali Alavi - Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr Campus, Mahshahr, Iran
Ahmad Arefazar - Department of Polymer Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

In this study, poly acrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane was prepared by dry-wet phase inversion method. The effects of different solvents, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethylformamide (DMF), and different polymer concentrations (17-21 wt %) on the membrane structure were investigated. The membrane characteristics including pore size, bulk porosity, and permeability were measured by bubble point, water flux, and gelation time of the films in coagulation bath. The results showed that with the increase in polymer concentration up to 21 wt %, the pore size of skin layer reduces and the water flux decreases. Moreover, substituting the DMF instead DMSO in the polymer solution, the gelation time increased and subsequently pore size and bulk porosity decreased

Polyacrilonitrile, Ultrafiltration, Water flux, Phase inversion, Pore size