(387c) Tempo Oxidized Cellulosic Membranes for Low Fouling Applications

Cellulose for membrane materials is a well developed technology. However, cellulose is still a difficult material to work with and the properties are seldom as consistent as you woudl like them to be. A variety of novel barrier membranes were cast using different concentrations of the proposed products of the tempo oxidation reaction. Film properties linked to multiple categories ranging from tensile strength to hydrophilicity were investigated. Additionally, data of physical and chemical alterations to the casting of cellulosic membranes have been examined and summarized. We found that using new methods of making tempo modified cellulose has decreased the hydrophilicity of the membrane below what has previously been reported in literature. Further, the fouling characteristics of this membranes have been improved based on the increased hydrophilicity. This paper will examine the reasoning for these improved properties and hyphotisize the possibilities of nanocellulosic membrane materials.