Studies on cellulose acetate-polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes: I. Effect of polymer composition

Ultrafiltration techniques have particular advantages for simultaneous purification, concentration and fractionation of macromolecules. Studies are presented on novel ultrafiltration membranes, based on cellulose acetate and polysulfone blends, for the separation of proteins and heavy metal ions. The effects of polymer composition on pure water flux, water content, molecular weight cut‐off and hydraulic resistance are discussed. Scanning electron microscopy images of the membranes show the presence of segregated individual domains of cellulose acetate and polysulfone. The molecular weight cut‐off obtained from the protein separation studies is also presented. Applications of these membranes for separating metal ions from aqueous streams are discussed. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry