Pluronic polymers and polyethersulfone blend membranes with improved fouling-resistant ability and ultrafiltration performance

Hydrophilic modification of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes was achieved by blending Pluronic polymers with different contents and PEO chain length. The static water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the enrichment of PEO chain at blend membranes surface. Effect of Pluronic polymer content and PEO chain length on ultrafiltration performance and fouling-resistant ability of blend membranes was studied. The results indicated that except for PES–P123 blend membranes, the water fluxes of blend membranes were higher than that of PES control membrane. Meanwhile, increasing Pluronic content or PEO chain length both improved the fouling-resistant ability of blend membranes significantly. Finally, the outstanding flux recovery property of blend membranes ensured the long-run utilization time and operation reliability.