Synthesis and Evaluation of Mixed Matrix Membrane for Hemodialysis Applications

Abstract

In current work, novel biocompatible and highly hydrophilic PSF based hemodialysis (HD) membranes were developed. For the said purpose, the biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HAP) was extracted from waste chicken bones via calcination at temperature of 800oC. The HD membranes were synthesized via phase inversion technique by blending various concentrations of HAP into the polysulfone (PSF) polymer. FTIR, Raman, EDX and XRD were performed to know the bonding chemistry and elemental composition of extracted HAP. The mechanical strength of modified PSF membranes were analyzed through fatigue testing, and bonding chemistry of fabricated membranes were examined using FTIR analysis. The hydrophilic nature of modified membranes was improved in comparison with untreated PSF membrane. Pore size, porosity and pure water permeation (PWP) flux were enhanced with increased filler loading. The antifouling and membrane resistance parameters of the modified membranes were also improved as compared to pristine PSF membrane. The cell proliferation, BSA adsorption and blood clotting time studied exhibited that the HAP/PSF blended membranes are remarkably biocompatible. The dialysis performance of prepared membranes in terms of adsorption capacity of urea and creatinine revealed that modified membrane successfully removed uremic toxin across the membrane surface.