TY - JOUR
T1 - Preparation of thin-film-composite polyamide membranes for desalination using novel hydrophilic surface modifying macromolecules
AU - Abu Tarboush, Belal J.
AU - Rana, D.
AU - Matsuura, T.
AU - Arafat, H. A.
AU - Narbaitz, R. M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) under project number 05-AS-005. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Ministry of the Environment, ON, Canada for their partial support of this work.
PY - 2008/11/15
Y1 - 2008/11/15
N2 - A new concept for the preparation of thin-film-composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane by interfacial polymerization on porous polysulfone (PS) support using novel additives is reported. Hydrophilic surface modifying macromolecules (LSMM) were synthesized both ex situ by conventional method (cLSMM), and in situ within the organic solvent of the TFC system (iLSMM). The effects of these LSMMs on the fouling of the TFC RO membranes used in the desalination processes were studied. FTIR results indicated that both cLSMM and iLSMM were present in the active layer of the TFC membranes. SEM micrographs depicted that heterogeneity of the surface increases for TFC membranes compared to the control PS membrane, and that higher concentrations of LSMM provided smoother surface. AFM characteristic data presented that the surface roughness of the skin surface increases for TFC membranes compared to the control. The RO performance results showed that the addition of the cLSMM significantly decreased the salt rejection of the membrane and slightly reduced the flux, while in the case of the iLSMM, salt rejection was improved but the flux declined at different rates for different iLSMM concentrations. The membrane prepared by the iLSMM exhibited less flux decay over an extended operational period.
AB - A new concept for the preparation of thin-film-composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane by interfacial polymerization on porous polysulfone (PS) support using novel additives is reported. Hydrophilic surface modifying macromolecules (LSMM) were synthesized both ex situ by conventional method (cLSMM), and in situ within the organic solvent of the TFC system (iLSMM). The effects of these LSMMs on the fouling of the TFC RO membranes used in the desalination processes were studied. FTIR results indicated that both cLSMM and iLSMM were present in the active layer of the TFC membranes. SEM micrographs depicted that heterogeneity of the surface increases for TFC membranes compared to the control PS membrane, and that higher concentrations of LSMM provided smoother surface. AFM characteristic data presented that the surface roughness of the skin surface increases for TFC membranes compared to the control. The RO performance results showed that the addition of the cLSMM significantly decreased the salt rejection of the membrane and slightly reduced the flux, while in the case of the iLSMM, salt rejection was improved but the flux declined at different rates for different iLSMM concentrations. The membrane prepared by the iLSMM exhibited less flux decay over an extended operational period.
KW - Desalination
KW - Fouling
KW - Reverse osmosis
KW - Surface modifying macromolecules
KW - Thin-film-composite
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U2 - 10.1016/j.memsci.2008.07.037
DO - 10.1016/j.memsci.2008.07.037
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:53449088652
SN - 0376-7388
VL - 325
SP - 166
EP - 175
JO - Journal of Membrane Science
JF - Journal of Membrane Science
IS - 1
ER -