Comparative study of hydrophilic modification of polyacrylonitrile membranes by nitrogen and carbon dioxide RF plasma

Low temperature plasma treatment using radio frequency (RF) discharge of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases was employed to enhance hydrophilicity of the polyacrylonitrile copolymer membrane surface. Influence of various plasma operating conditions, namely, power and exposure time on improvement of surface energy, permeability, and hydrophilicity of the membrane was investigated. Surface energy of RF nitrogen plasma‐treated membrane (70 W, 8 min)...