For the first time, self-standing microfiltration (MF)
hollow fiber
membranes were prepared from cellulose triacetate (CTA) via the thermally
induced phase separation (TIPS) method. The resultant membranes were
compared with counterparts prepared from cellulose diacetate (CDA)
and cellulose acetate propionate (CAP). Extensive solvent screening
by considering the Hansen solubility parameters of the polymer and
solvent, the polymer’s solubility at high temperature, solidification
of the polymer solution at low temperature, viscosity, and processability
of the polymeric solution, is the most challenging issue for cellulose
membrane preparation. Different phase separation mechanisms were identified
for CTA, CDA, and CAP polymer solutions prepared using the screened
solvents for membrane preparation. CTA solutions in binary organic
solvents possessed the appropriate properties for membrane preparation
via liquid–liquid phase separation, followed by a solid–liquid
phase separation (polymer crystallization) mechanism. For the prepared
CTA hollow fiber membranes, the maximum stress was 3–5 times
higher than those of the CDA and CAP membranes. The temperature gap
between the cloud point and crystallization onset in the polymer solution
plays a crucial role in membrane formation. All of the CTA, CDA, and
CAP membranes had a very porous bulk structure with a pore size of
∼100 nm or larger, as well as pores several hundred nanometers
in size at the inner surface. Using an air gap distance of 0 mm, the
appropriate organic solvents mixed in an optimized ratio, and a solvent
for cellulose derivatives as the quench bath media, it was possible
to obtain a CTA MF hollow fiber membrane with high pure water permeance
and notably high rejection of 100 nm silica nanoparticles. It is expected
that these membranes can play a great role in pharmaceutical separation.