The Functionalization Study of PVDF/TiO2 Hollow Fibre Membranes Under Vacuum Calcination Exposure

In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fibre membrane was modified by adding TiO 2 . TiO 2 presence affects the membrane structure becomes more less hydrophobic which makes the membrane less fouling. Membranes were made via dry-wet spinning method and calcined under vacuum condition by furnace (100, 300, and 500 °C). Besides, PVDF-TiO 2 uncalcined membrane were also prepared as comparison to investigated the effect of calcination on hollow fibre membrane’s functional groups. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectra indicated that all PVDF-TiO 2 membranes have bands of OH in the TiO 2 at ∼1600 cm −1 . Peaks of α-phase PVDF crystals appeared at ∼876, ∼876, and ∼872 cm −1 for uncalcined, 100 and 300 °C, while for 500 °C the PVDF peak only shows at 874 cm −1 . The peaks at ∼1200 cm −1 represent CF 2 groups. Peaks at ∼1400 cm −1 assigned to CH 2 groups, but it does not observed for 500 °C. Deconvolution by Fityk software that shows calcination using vacuum condition gives the compounds gradually decomposes. At high temperature calcination lead the CH 2 peak extremely lost.