The diffusion and bulk properties of polyurethane (PU) ‐based hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes

Abstract
In this study, the diffusion characteristics of diclofenac‐Na through hydrophobic and hydrophilic polyurethane (PU)‐based membranes are investigated. Hydrophilic polymers are obtained by graft copolymerization of PU with acriylamide (AAm) and itaconic acid (IA). The membranes are prepared by a solvent‐casting method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The diffusion measurements are performed using a diffusion cell for 10 h at 37°C. Permeability coefficients calculated from diffusion experiments are ∼3 times higher in hydrophilic membranes than hydrophobic PU membranes. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 193–198, 2002