Comparison of Various Solvents for Poly(Phenylene Sulfide) Microporous Membrane Preparation via Thermally Induced Phase Separation

Six different solvents, i.e., diphenyl sulfone (DPS), diphenyl isophthalate (DPIP), benzoin (BZ), epsilon-caprolactam (CPL), hydrogenated terphenyl (HTP), and cyclohexyl pyrrolidinone (CHPN), were selected as diluents for poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) microporous membranes development via the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method. Phase separation behaviors for the various solvents were first identified through thermal analysis of their PPS solutions. Liquid-liquid separation behavior was identified for a group of solvents including DPS, DPIP, and BZ, whereas systems with the solvents CPL, HTP, and CHPN underwent solid-liquid separation during the cooling process. A newly designed casting device, which well simulated the industrial film casting process, was then used to produce films; it consisted of a side-by-side high-temperature plate and room-temperature plate. The different cooling conditions able to be produced by this casting device were found to greatly affect the TIPS process and the properties of the final membranes. The properties of PPS membranes prepared on this device from 30 wt.% binary solutions with the six solvents were investigated. The morphology of PPS membranes was also observed on the samples prepared under different cooling processes for the six solvents.