METHOD FOR WETTING HYDROPHOBIC POROUS POLYMERIC MEMBRANES TO IMPROVE WATER FLUX WITHOUT ALCOHOL TREATMENT

摘要

A method is provided for substantially instantaneously wetting hydrophobic, porous polymeric membranes and for rendering hydrophobic membranes hydrophilic. The method involves treating the membrane with a non-alcoholic aqueous solution of a low molecular weight surfactant, and then drying the treated membrane. The low molecular weight surfactant exhibits high polymer affinity for the hydrophobic membrane substrate as well as high water solubility; a preferred surfactant is sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). The method is particularly useful for treating hydrophobic membranes such as those made of polyolefins, fluorinated or chlorinated polymers, polysulfone, or polyethersulfone, preferably having a gore size of about 0.01 microns to about 1 micron. A wettable membrane is thus provided as the aqueous surfactant solution is absorbed finto the hydrophobic membrane.