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Review
. 2024 Feb 1;14(2):42.
doi: 10.3390/membranes14020042.

Preparation, Modification, and Application of Ethylene-Chlorotrifluoroethylene Copolymer Membranes

Zhangbin Liao  1   2 , Qian Wang  1   2   3 , Qiuyueming Zhou  1   2   3 , Zhaoliang Cui  1   2   3 , Zhaohui Wang  1   2   3 , Enrico Drioli  4
Affiliations
Review

Preparation, Modification, and Application of Ethylene-Chlorotrifluoroethylene Copolymer Membranes

Zhangbin Liao et al. Membranes (Basel). .

Abstract

Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) was first commercialized by DuPont in 1974. Its unique chemical structure gives it high heat resistance, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. But also due to these properties, it is difficult to prepare a membrane from it by the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method. However, it can be prepared as a microfiltration membrane using the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method at certain temperatures and with the selection of suitable solvents, and the use of green solvents is receiving increasing attention from researchers. The surface wettability of ECTFE membranes usually needs to be modified before use to strengthen its performance to meet the application requirements, usually by graft modification and surface oxidation techniques. This paper provides an overview of the structure of ECTFE and its preparation and modification methods, as well as recent advances in its application areas and prospects for the future methods of preparing high-performance ECTFE membranes.

Keywords: ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene; grafting; membrane; modification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
ECTFE molecular structure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
ECTFE particles from the Solvay company.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The procedure for preparing ECTFE membranes by TIPS. (Tdope is the temperature of casting solution, Tm is the temperature of melting temperature).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The cross-section structure of ECTFE membranes prepared with different solvents: (A) DEP, (B) DBP, (C) BS, (D) DBS. Reprinted from Ref. Zhou 2012 [14]. Copyright permission has been obtained from the Publisher Editorial Office.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The cross-sectional structure of the ECTFE membranes prepared by adding different nonsolvents: (a) HDC; (b) TPP; (c) OA; (d) TEG. Reprinted from Ref. Zhou 2013 [41]. Copyright permission has been obtained from the Publisher Editorial Office.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The effect of monomer concentration on the degree of grafting. Reprinted from Ref. Abdel-Hamed 2018 [39].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Permeate flux as a function of the running time of the prepared membranes with different quenching temperatures (polymer concentration was 30 Wt. %). Reprinted from Ref. Xu 2019 [5].
Figure 8
Figure 8
Solvent permeability trends with three different organic solvents and ECTFE membranes. Reprinted from Ref. Ursino 2016 [37].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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