• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2016

Thin film composite (TFC) polyamide membranes were prepared on polysulfone (PSF) supports for forward osmosis (FO) applications. To understand the influence of polarity and porosity of support layer on the formation of polyamide structure and the final FO performance, clathochelate metal complex (MC) contained PSF supports were prepared via the phase inversion process from various PSF casting solutions containing 0.1-0.5 wt% of MC in dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent (18 wt%). A crosslinked aromatic polyamide layer was then fabricated on top of each support to form a TFC membrane. For the porous PSF supports prepared with relatively low concentration casting solutions (12 wt%), the PET film was removed after phase inversion and crosslinked aromatic polyamide layer was then fabricated. The tested sample from PSF (18 wt%)/MC (0.5 wt%) casting solution presented outstanding FO performance, almost similar water flux (9.99 LMH) with lower reverse salt flux (RSF, 0.77 GMH) compared to commercial HTI FO membrane(10.97 LMH of flux and 2.2 GMH of RSF). By addition of MC in casting solution, the thickness of the active layer in FO membranes was reduced, however, the increased RSF value was obtained.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.596-601
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• 2014

Polyamide (PA) oligomers, which are the hard segment of poly(ether-block-amide) (PEBA), presenting thermoplastic and high performance elastomeric properties were prepared by polycondensation between 4-aminobenzoic acid and 12-aminododecanoic acid. Subsequently PEBAs were obtained by addition polymerization of the PA oligomers and various molecular weights of poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG). The structure of the final PEBA was identified by using FTIR and $^1H$ NMR and the thermal properties depending on changes in the structure of hard segment were collected by using DSC and UTM analysis. As the results, the melt temperature ($T_m$), the initial modulus, and the maximum strength of PEBAs increased with an increase in aromatic moiety up to 30% without reducing crystallinity.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2012

One of the major limitations in the use of commercial aromatic polyamide thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes is to maintain high performance over a long period of operation, due to the sensitivity of polyamide (PA) skin layer to oxidizing agents, such as chlorine, even at very low concentrations in feed water. This article reports surface modification of a commercial TFC RO membrane (BW30-Dow Filmtec) by covering it with a thin film of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) to improve its resistance to chlorine. Crosslinking reaction was carried out at 25 and $40^{\circ}C$ by using PVA 1.0 wt.% solutions at different GA/PVA mass ratio, namely 0.0022, 0.0043 and 0.013. Water swelling measurements indicated a maximum crosslinking density for PVA films prepared at $40^{\circ}C$ and GA/PVA 0.0043. ATR-FTIR and TGA analysis confirmed the reaction between GA and PVA. SEM images of the original and modified membranes were used to evaluate the surface coating. Chlorine resistance of original and modified membranes was evaluated by exposing it to an oxidant solution (NaClO 300 mg/L, NaCl 2,000 mg/L, pH 9.5) and measuring water permeability and salt rejection during more than 100 h period. The surface modification effectively was demonstrated by increasing the chlorine resistance of PA commercial membrane from 1,000 ppm.h to more than 15.000 ppm.h.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05b
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• pp.82-85
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• 2004

Flux-enhancement mechanism of thin-film-composite (TFC) membranes for the reverse comosis (RO) process was newly explained by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) that has been found to be applied for detecting molecular vacancies or pores having sizes that are equivalent to salt or hydrate ions in RO membrane.(omitted)

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1991.10a
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• pp.9-16
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• 1991

The current status of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration membranes are reviewed with the view for the future. In the case of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, as examples, new crosslinked aromatic polyamide membranes exhibited the superior separation performance with the sufficient water permeability, the high tolerance for oxidizing agents and chemicals. Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane based on poly(phenylene sulfide sulfone) (PPSS) also exibited the superior separation performance with the high solvent, heat and fouling resistance.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 2014

Organic compounds are adsorbed on RO/NF membranes, and the adsorption may influence the rejection of organic compounds by the membranes. Because almost RO/NF membranes are composite membranes, the results obtained by adsorption experiment with using membrane pieces are unable to avoid the influence by the support membrane. In this work, the interaction between membrane polymer and organic solutes was examined by an inverse HPLC methodology. Poly (m-phenylenetrimesoylate), the constituent of skin layer of RO/NF membranes, was coated on silica gel particles and used as a stationary phase for HPLC. When water was used as a mobile phase, almost hydrophilic aliphatic compounds were not effectively adsorbed on the stationary phase, although hydrophobic compounds were slightly adsorbed. The results indicated that the hydrophilic aliphatic compounds are useful probe solutes to examine the molecular sieving effect of a membrane. When water was used as a mobile phase, the aromatic compounds were strongly retained, and therefore $CH_3CN/H_2O$ (30/70) was used as a mobile phase. It was revealed that the adsorption of aromatic compounds was controlled by stacking between solute and polymer and was hindered by non-planar structure and substituents.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 1998

Thin-film composite reverse osmosis membranes of aromatic polyamides were prepared by the interfacial polymerization. Aromatic polyamides as active skin layer were made from the interfacial polymerization of MPD(m-phenylene diamine) in the aqueous and TMC(trimesoyl chloride) in HCFC(1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane) organic solvent. The performances of the various reverse osmosis composite membranes prepared by changing processing variables were examined. The performance of membrane manufactured by batch system was varied with organic solvent, monomer concentration, dipping time, heat treatment temperature, acid acceptor, ethanol post treatment, and acid post treatment. Ethanol post treatment was the most dominant factors in increasing permeate amount, while the monomer concentration and dipping time were the main factors in increasing selectivity. The spiral-wound module was produced with the membrane prepared at optimum condition of the continuous process. Comparing the performance of this membrane module made here with that of commercial membrane module, the permeate flux was increased by 33% while the rejection was decreased by 5%.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1991.04a
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• pp.9-9
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• 1991

This paper will begin by describing osmosis and how reverse osmosis works. It will show how osmotic pressure affects reverse osmosis operations. It uill explain salt rejection, membrane flux, and recovery rates and the affect that salt built up has on membrane performance. It wil 1 explain the limitations of RO performance and why pretreatment is important. It will describe the two basic types of membrane, asymmetric and thin-film composite and explain the difference between these types plus compare cellulose acetate types to aromatic polyamide type membranes. It will discuss operating efficiences as it compares to feedwater pressure, concentration, temperature and pH. Finally, it will discuss the differences between tubular, plate and frame, hollow fiber and spiral wound element design. It will be a paper that talks about the basics of RO systems and should give a person who is unfamiliar with RO a basic introduction to this type of separation technology.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.439-449
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• 2013

This study investigated the aromatic polyamide reverse osmosis membrane was modified with diphenylamine (DPA) for enhanced chlorine and fouling resistance and how to optimize. DPA has high reactivity and thermo chemical stability. The performance of a modified membranes was investigated and its surface analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurement. The experiment was conducted while changing the conditions of temperature and DPA solution concentration.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.453-462
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• 2014

Thin film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) membranes were prepared on polyester (PET) nonwoven reinforced polysulfone supports for forward osmosis (FO) processes. PSF (polysulfone) supports were prepared via the phase inversion process from PSF casting solutions in dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvents (19 wt%) by using a PET nonwoven (thickness of $100{\mu}m$) as a mechanical reinforcing material for reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. The PSF support from 19 wt% of DMF/PSF casting solution showed sponge-like morphology and asymmetric internal structure. To reduce the internal concentration polarization in FO operation, thin ($20{\mu}m$ of thickness) nonwoven-supported PSF supports were prepared by using PSF/DMF casting solution (9~19 wt%). A desirable support structure with a highly porous sponge-like morphology were achieved from the thin nonwoven-supported PSF layer prepared with 9~12 wt% casting solution. A crosslinked aromatic polyamide layer was fabricated on top of each support to form a TFC PA membrane. The tested sample from 12 wt% of DMF/PSF casting solution presented outstanding FO performance, almost 5.5 times higher water flux (24.3 LMH) with low reverse salt flux (RDF, 1.5 GMH) compared to a thick nonwoven rainforced membrane (4.5 LMH of flux and 3.47 GMH of RSF). By reducing the thickness of the nonwoven and optimizing PSF concentration of casting solution, the morphology of the prepared membranes were changed from a dense structure to a porous sponge structure in the boundary area between nonwoven and PET support layer.