(287d) Development of High-Flux and Fouling-Resistant Reverse Osmosis Membranes for Brackish Water Desalination

Development of High-Flux and Fouling-Resistant Reverse
Osmosis Membranes for Brackish Water Desalination

Lin
Zhao, C.-Y. Chang, and W.S. Winston Ho, The Ohio State University

            A novel high-flux and fouling-resistant reverse osmosis
membrane was synthesized and characterized under brackish water desalination
conditions. The o-aminobenzoic acid-triethylamine salt was added into m-phenylenediamine
(MPD) solution to react with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) during the interfacial
polymerization. The membrane preparation conditions including MPD
concentration, TMC concentration, and interfacial polymerization time were optimized
using brackish water desalination tests with 2000 ppm NaCl solution at 225 psi
and 25^oC. The membrane synthesized under the optimal conditions was
post-treated with aqueous solutions containing glycerol, sodium lauryl sulfate,
and camphorsulfonic acid-triethylamine salt to further increase the water flux.
The resulting membrane showed a flux of 54.4 gallons/ft²/day and a
salt rejection of 98.6%. This membrane outperformed the other membranes
including BW30, LE, XLE, and ESPA3, evaluated at their favorable desalination
conditions, respectively. The fouling-resistant property of the synthesized
membrane was obtained by physically coating a cross-linked polyethylene glycol
(PEG-200) layer on top of the thin film. The effects of cross-linked PEG-200
solution concentration were investigated under brackish water desalination
conditions.  Dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, a cationic foulant, caused
a 52.9% flux reduction of the uncoated membrane and a 30.8% flux reduction of
the coated membrane. Tannic acid, an organic foulant, caused a 15.6% flux
reduction of the uncoated membrane and a 4.0% flux reduction of the coated
membrane. The modified membrane surface morphology was analyzed using atomic
force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed a
smoother membrane surface which confirmed the successful modification.