Tributyl Citrate as Diluent for Preparation of Pvdf Porous Membrane via Thermally Induced Phase Separation

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane was successfully prepared by PVDF/tributyl citrate (TBC) via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). TBC was used as diluent for membrane preparation, which is citric acid esters non-toxic, non-odorous, easy to prepare and comparatively cheap. The effects of PVDF content on crystallinity of PVDF and porous structure were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry and pore size analyzer instrument. The results showed that PVDF was most able to crystallize and the membrane pore size became more uniform and smaller at higher polymer content.