Highly stable porous cellulose materials to utilize lactic acid

In this study, a porous membrane consisting of lactic acid and cellulose acetate was fabricated using a low-cost and pro-environmental process. The wetting action of the lactic acid induced a plasticization effect in the cellulose acetate chain, forming several small pores during the hydrostatic treatment. The surface and cross-section of the membranes were observed using scanning electron microscopy, and the interaction between cellulose acetate and lactic acid was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis was performed to determine the thermal stability of the membrane and the removal of lactic acid by the hydrostatic treatment. In addition, the optimum composition and performance of the composite were investigated via water flux measurement. Furthermore, the average pore diameter and porosity of the cellulose acetate/lactic acid membrane measured using a porosimeter was 0.38 μm and 65.3%, respectively.