Influence of Content and Treatment of Clay in the Morphology of PES Membranes

Polymeric membranes were produced from the nanocomposites of polyethersulfone and clay (untreated-MMT and treatment-OMMT), by phase inversion technique, in the proportions of 3 and 5% w/w, using as the solvent N, N dimethylformamide (DMF). From XRD results it was noted a change in the structure of the MMT by organophilization process with increase of the interplanar basal distance. To the membranes it was observed an exfoliated and/or partially exfoliated structure. From SEM images the nanocomposite membranes showed a surface apparently exempt of pores, however in the cross-section images shows an anisotropic structure, where the skin is dense and the porous support displays macrovoids. By the flow measurement, it was found that the compositions presented the same tendency in the flow lines, where the flow is high on the beginning and drops over time; and the inclusion of clay increases the flow, especially to the membranes with MMT 5%.