PLASMA DEPOSITION MODIFIED NYLON-4 MEMBRANES FOR HEMODIALYSIS

The purpose of this research is to prepare high solute permeability membranes for hemodialysis by plasma depositing hydrophilic monomers onto chemically treated or O2 plasma etched Nylon 4 substrate. The factors that affect the performances of membranes, such as deposition conditions and chemical or plasma etching conditions, were studied. The monomers used in this study were 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (VP), 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and Methyl methacrylate (MMA). The permeabilities of NaCl, urea, vitamin B-12, and albumin were measured, as were the water content, hydration, diffusivity, partition coefficient, and protein adsorption ratio of fibrinogen to albumin by membrane surface of plasma deposited membranes. The permeabilities of NaCl, urea, vitamin B-12, and albumin of HEMA 5 w-1 h plasma deposited onto chemical treated Nylon 4 membranes were 2.896 +/- 0.192, 3.301 +/- 0.325, 0.010 +/- 0.007, and 0.000 x 10(-5) cm2/min, respectively. The mole ratio of adsorbed fibrinogen to adsorbed albumin (F/A) is 0.26 +/- 0.05, which is much lower than that of the pure Nylon 4 membrane (0.94 +/- 0.06) and the Gambro(R) membrane (0.90 +/- 0.15). The HEMA deposited membrane possesses the highest feasibility as hemodialysis material among those plasma deposited membranes considered.