Reverse osmosis membrane materials

Characteristics of Different Polymers as Reverse Osmosis Membrane Materials (53,56)... 

This paper has provided the reader with an introduction to a class of polymers that show great potential as reverse osmosis membrane materials — poly(aryl ethers). Resistance to degradation and hydrolysis as well as resistance to stress Induced creep make membranes of these polymers particularly attractive. It has been demonstrated that through sulfonation the hydrophilic/hydrophobic, flux/separation, and structural stability characteristics of these membranes can be altered to suit the specific application. It has been Illustrated that the nature of the counter-ion of the sulfonation plays a role in determining performance characteristics. In the preliminary studies reported here, one particular poly(aryl ether) has been studied — the sulfonated derivative of Blsphenol A - polysulfone. This polymer was selected to serve as a model for the development of experimental techniques as well as to permit the investigation of variables... 

To demonstrate the usefulness of a wide spectrum of poly(aryl ethers) as reverse osmosis membrane materials. 

Cellulose acetate was the first high-performance reverse osmosis membrane material discovered. The flux and rejection of cellulose acetate membranes have now been surpassed by interfacial composite membranes. However, cellulose acetate membranes still maintain a small fraction of the market because they are easy to make, mechanically tough, and resistant to degradation by chlorine and other oxidants, a problem with interfacial composite membranes. Cellulose acetate membranes can tolerate up to 1 ppm chlorine, so chlorination can be used to sterilize the feed water, a major advantage with feed streams having significant bacterial loading. 

Konagaya, S., Kuzumoto, H., and Watanabe, O. 2000. New reverse osmosis membrane materials with higher resistance to chlorine. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 75 1357-1364. 

K.P. Lee, T.C. Amot, D. Mattia, A review of reverse osmosis membrane materials for desalination-development to date and future potential. Journal of Membrane Science 2011,370, 1-22. 

Aromatic tri-functional acid and amine monomers are used to obtain reticulated polyamides, which have better mechanical and chemical stability and, for that reason, they are preferred for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane materials. In these membranes, a thin polyamide layer (less than l jm thickness) is fabricated by interfacial polymerization on the top of a porous support (normally an ultrafiltration polysulfone membrane), which usually presents a non-woven reinforcement for mechanical stability as can be seen in Figure 8. Despite its small thickness, the polyamide dense layer is the main regulator of the rejection/transport of water and ions across the membrane. 

Lee, Kah Pend, Tom C. Arnot, and Davide Mattia, A Review of Reverse Osmosis Membrane Materials for Desalination—Development to Date and Future Potential, of Membrane Science, 370,1-22, 2011... 

This value is taken into account when planning hoUow-fiber dimensions. A partial account of these considerations can be found in References 6 and 7. In practical appUcations, ie, reverse osmosis, membrane compaction with time is experimentally derived as a function of the polymeric material at given temperatures and pressures (8). 

Nonporous Dense Membranes. Nonporous, dense membranes consist of a dense film through which permeants are transported by diffusion under the driving force of a pressure, concentration, or electrical potential gradient. The separation of various components of a solution is related directiy to their relative transport rate within the membrane, which is determined by their diffusivity and solubiUty ia the membrane material. An important property of nonporous, dense membranes is that even permeants of similar size may be separated when their concentration ia the membrane material (ie, their solubiUty) differs significantly. Most gas separation, pervaporation, and reverse osmosis membranes use dense membranes to perform the separation. However, these membranes usually have an asymmetric stmcture to improve the flux. 

Reverse osmosis membrane separations are governed by the properties of the membrane used in the process. These properties depend on the chemical nature of the membrane material, which is almost always a polymer, as well as its physical stmcture. Properties for the ideal RO membrane include low cost, resistance to chemical and microbial attack, mechanical and stmctural stabiHty over long operating periods and wide temperature ranges, and the desired separation characteristics for each particular system. However, few membranes satisfy all these criteria and so compromises must be made to select the best RO membrane available for each appHcation. Excellent discussions of RO membrane materials, preparation methods, and stmctures are available (8,13,16-21). 

Cellulose acetate, the earhest reverse osmosis membrane, is still widely used. Asymmetric polyamide and thin-film composites of polyamide and several other polymers have also made gains in recent years whereas polysulfone is the most practical membrane material in ultrafiltration appHcations. 

This method is used mainly to remove high-molecular-weight materials such as proteins, colloids, viruses, and bacteria. The same types of problem encountered with the use of reverse osmosis membranes are encountered here, and the proposed solutions are the same. 

Membranes. Photopolymer chemistry is being applied to the design and manufacture of a variety of membrane materials. In these applications, photopolymer technology is used to precisely define the microscopic openings in the membrane as it is being formed or to modify an existing membrane. Some of the applications of photopolymer chemistry to membranes include the modification of ultrafiltration membranes (78) and the manufacture of amphiphilic (79), gas permeable (80), untrafiltration (81), ion-selective electrode (82) and reverse osmosis membranes. 

The membranes used for pervaporation are similar to reverse osmosis membranes, i.e. both are composite membranes consisting of a very thin dense permselective film on top of a nonselective porous support. In pervaporation, however, the membrane is highly swollen at the feed side and relatively dry at the permeate side. Two different types of pervaporation membranes based on polymeric materials were developed at about the same time in the early 1980s [31] ... 

Materials Science of Reverse Osmosis Membranes - Characterization of Polymeric Membrane Materials... 

In order to fully appreciate the potential presented by these materials, it is necessary to look at the structure of the polymer in relation to what is presently perceived as desirable qualities for polymers which are to be employed as asymmetric reverse osmosis membranes. The elevated hydrostatic pressures which prevail during reverse osmosis Impose the requirement of pol5mier rigidity or resistance to creep deformation (compaction). 

Poly(ethersulfone) (PES) is widely used for the preparation of membranes, including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis membranes (88). However, PES lacks hydrophilic groups and the membrane material must be therefore modified. 

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