Morphology and selected properties of cellulose acetate membranes for environmental applications

Microporous membranes were obtained by dry-wet phase inversion from a solution of cellulose acetate (CA) in acetone (13, 14 and 15 wt%). Polyethylene glycol was used as a blowing agent. The structure and mechanical properties were examined. FT-IR spectra show that the addition of polyethylene glycol improves the thermodynamics of the solution and increases the hydrophilicity of the membrane. The SEM method confirmed the microporous structure of membranes with an asymmetric structure and various pore sizes and porosities. Higher CA concentration resulted in better tensile properties.