Super‐hydrophilic electrospun PVDF/PVA‐blended nanofiber membrane for microfiltration with ultrahigh water flux

ABSTRACT This work provides a novel approach to improve not only water flux but also fouling resistance of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. PVDF/Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)‐blended nanofiber membranes were prepared via electrospinning method. The structure and performance of blended nanofiber membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), attenuated total reflection‐Fourier‐transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, tensile mechanical measurement, and filtration experiments. These results indicate that PVA was uniformly blend in the PVDF matrix. This blended nanofiber membranes with the ridge‐and‐valley structure and bicontinuous phase exhibited the hydrophilic performance and super‐wettability, which is reflected in a drop of water fully spread within 1.44 s. Filtration experiments showed that the blended nanofiber membranes have ultrahigh flux and low irreversible fouling ratio. In general, this work enhances the possibility of hydrophilic modification of hydrophobic PVDF membranes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137 , 48416.