Effect of Radio-Frequency Plasma Treatment on Characteristics of Polysulfonamide Membranes and on Intensity of Separation of Oil-Water Sludges

Abstract

UDC 537.525; 628.33

DOI  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1053777

Polysulfonamide membranes with the molecular weight cut-off 20 kDa (pore size 0.01 µm) were treated for 1.5 min. in a flow of the radio frequency (RF) capacitive plasma of a low pressure glow discharge in argon and nitrogen at a voltage of the anode U_a = 1.5 kV. Instrumental methods of the analysis revealed a change in the structure of the membrane surface: in topography – reduction of roughness, the decrease in the wetting angle from 59.6° to 47.9°, and the formation of oxygen-containing functional groups resulting from the plasma treatment at the indicated parameters. Experiments in of the membrane separation of 3% oil-water sludge, which were the base for the demonstration of the intensification of the process using plasma-modified polysulfonamide membranes.

Keywords: polysulfonamide membrane, plasma, treatment, oil-water sludge, separation efficiency.