ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the science and engineering for the formation of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes and the fabrication technologies of designing Membrane distillation (MD) membranes with desirable morphology and characteristics from industrial perspectives. MD is a thermally driven process based on the transport of volatile vapor across a hydrophobic microporous membrane. The process for casting flat-sheet membranes through nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) comprises a significant number of control parameters including dope formulation, coagulation chemistry, casting parameters such as humidity control, and take-up speed. The polymer concentration plays a crucial role in determining membrane formation through the NIPS process. Sukitpaneenit and Chung examined the effects of low molecular weight additives that include water, methanol, and ethanol in polymer dope solutions on the morphology of PVDF membranes. Many studies have confirmed that the choice of coagulant chemistry and composition plays a critical role in designing the phase inversion mechanism, porosity, macrovoids, and membrane robustness in PVDF membranes.
