Fabrication of cellulose acetate braided membrane with advanced antibacterial properties

Abstract

Despite their wide application, hollow fiber membranes have insufficient mechanical strength and require the use of a reinforcing braid to provide sufficient membrane strength and improve their permeability. Among various braided polymeric membranes, cellulose acetate (CA) has found wide application in industrial purification processes due to its high performance, environmental friendliness and relatively low cost. However, CA-membranes are easily contaminated due to low antibacterial properties, which limits its application and progress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new eco-friendly biocide based on forestchemical raw materials on structure, transport and antibacterial properties of braided CAmembranes. For this purpose, rosin acid imide was synthesized for the first time. Different amounts of rosin acid imide (from 0 up to 1,0 wt.%) were added to the CA casting solution and various structural and characterization analyses were carried out, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transport and antibacterial properties of membranes.