(18d) Outer-Selective Thin-Film Composite (TFC) Hollow Fiber Membranes for Osmotic Power Generation

An outer-selective thin-film composite (TFC) hollow fiber membrane using Ultem® as the support material has been developed for osmotic power generation with the pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) process. Firstly, a defect-free TFC membrane has been achieved on the shell side of the fiber by a simple pre-wetting step with alcohols. The PRO performance has further been improved by optimizing the support structure in terms of morphology, pore size and mechanical strength. The study may provide insightful guidelines for developing a new TFC membrane generation for PRO power production.