Abstract The influence of the concentration, viscosity, electrical conductivity and Bloom index of gelatin solutions on the electrospinning process and the fibrous membrane formed was evaluated. Electrospun membranes were produced at different concentrations for three Bloom values (90, 250 and 280); the solutions were evaluated in terms of viscosity and electrical conductivity and the fibrous membranes by SEM and tensile tests. Results indicate that the electrospinning was most successful when the solution viscosity was within the range of 300 to 700 mPa·s, regardless of the type of gelatin used in the investigated conditions. The average fiber diameter increased with the increased solution viscosity and the relationship between them was well described by a linear equation. With regard to the mechanical properties, GeB250 and GeB280 fibrous membranes showed elongation, on average, at least ten times higher than that of GeB90 membranes.

In relation to some inorganic membranes, polymeric membranes have relatively low separation performance. However, the processing flexibility and low cost of polymers still make them highly attractive for many industrial separation applications. Polymer-inorganic hybrid membranes constitute an emerging research field and have been recently developed to improve the separation properties of polymer membranes because they possess properties of both organic and inorganic membranes such as good hydrophilicity, selectivity, permeability, mechanical strength, and thermal and chemical stability. The structures and processing of polymer-inorganic nanocomposite hybrid membranes, as well as their use in the fields of ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, pervaporation, gas separation and separation mechanism are reviewed.