Milad Fonouni - Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, IranMembrane Technology Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran
Reza Yegani - Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, IranMembrane Technology Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran
Sattar Anarjani - Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, IranMembrane Technology Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran
Akram Tavakoli - Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran

An essential characteristic for high performance inherently hydrophobic membranes such as microporous high density polyethylene (HDPE) membranes is to have a hydrophilic surface. In this project, wet chemicalfunctionalization as a facile and effective method was developed to give a hydrophilic property to HDPE membranesusing polar functional groups. KClO3, K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4 were selected as oxidizing agents. The optimumconcentrations and treatment time intervals were determined for each oxidizing agent. Water contact angle andpure water flux measurements were conducted to evaluate the surface hydrophilicity and membrane performance,respectively. The results showed that among different oxidizing agents, 1wt% K2Cr2O7 solution with 60 minimmersion time had the highest impact on the pure water flux. The percentage of re-construction phenomenon wasabout 4.70%, 21.94% and 32.6% for the HDPE membranes treated by KClO3, K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4, respectively.In addition, the attenuated total reflectance spectra-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) resultsconfrmed the presence of hydroxyl groups (O–H peak appeared at 3418.78 cm−1) in the membrane modifedby KClO3. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) fltration experiments revealed that the total fouling ratio (TFR) andirreversible fouling ratio (IFR) decreased from 88.10% and 42.60% for pristine membrane to 65%, 68% and 72%and 26.60%, 29.30% and 35% for the modifed membranes treated by KClO3, K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4, respectively.The results indicated that incorporation of hydrophilic functional groups on the surface of HDPE membranesimproved the fouling resistance behavior. Polyolefns J (2017) 4: 13-26

Microporous high density polyethylene (HDPE) membrane; wet chemical oxidation; functionalization; KClO3; K2Cr2O7; KMnO