Modification of cellulose acetate membrane using monosodium glutamate additives prepared by microwave heating

Cellulose acetate polymeric solutions with different concentrations of monosodium glutamate in formic acid were prepared using both traditional and microwave heating methods. The membrane separation performance and its physical properties were evaluated. Results indicated that the membrane consisting of 6 wt% additive prepared using microwave heating exhibited better solute permeability. Microwave heating was also found to enhance the thermal stability and the surface roughness of the membrane. The use of microwave for membrane fabrication not only saves time and cost, but also produces membranes with good properties. This paper therefore discusses the plausibility of manufacturing membranes using microwave heating techniques.