Preparation of UHMWPE Hollow Fiber Membrane With High Permeability Using High Winding Speed

Membrane aeration technology, as a critical means to improve water treatment efficiency, has garnered significant attention in the fields of international water treatment, environmental protection, and membrane science. While enhancing the aeration membrane flux can improve oxygen transfer efficiency, such improvements often negatively impact the mechanical properties and durability of the membrane. To address this challenge, high-strength and durable ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) hollow fiber membranes were fabricated in this study using thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) at varying spinning winding speeds. Microscopic imaging revealed that the UHMWPE hollow fiber membranes exhibit a loose network-like microporous structure internally and a dense surface layer. Furthermore, the microporous structure became more pronounced with increasing winding speed. At a winding speed of 9 m min⁻¹, the membrane achieved a maximum gas flux of 1797 L m⁻² min⁻¹. The maximum tensile strength of the membrane was 3.8 MPa, and the maximum elongation at break was 420%, demonstrating that the membrane retained excellent mechanical properties and durability even under elevated gas flux conditions. This high-performance aeration membrane is well suited for diverse water treatment applications. Moreover, this study showed that optimizing winding speed can efficiently reconcile the conflict between increasing the flux and maintaining mechanical properties.