Asymmetric and porous polysulfone (PSf) membranes were prepared by wet phase separation. Binary (PSf)/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) solutions with polymer concentrations of 12.5-30 wt % were cast in thicknesses of 80-700 mu m and immersed in a coagulation bath of pure water. The morphology of the formed membranes' cross sections consisted of a cellular structure and macrovoids; the cellular structure density was highest when the cast solution contained about 21 wt % PSf, regardless of the cast thickness. The membranes' pure water permeability decreased as the cast thickness increased. The instantaneous onset of the turbidity, regardless of the PSf content and cast thickness, its steep growth, and relatively high end value were the main characteristics of the turbidity phenomena taking place during the formation of the protomembranes. Again, the membrane-forming system with a PSf/DMA solution with about 21 wt %. polymer, regardless of the cast thickness, had the highest turbidity end value. The shrinkage of the cast solutions into the corresponding protomembrane was also examined quantitatively. Inverse experiments showed that the direction of the gravitation field had no influence on the shrinkage of the membrane-forming ternary system or the membranes' morphology and its water permeability. (D 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.