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    Facile Surface Modification of Polyamide Membranes Using UV-Photooxidation Improves Permeability and Reduces Natural Organic Matter Fouling

    Year: 2021

    Journal: Environ. Sci. Technol., Volume 55, MAY 18, page 6984–6994

    Authors: Rho, Hojung; Im, Sung-Ju; Alrehaili, Omar; Lee, Sungyun; Jang, Am; Perreault, Francois; Westerhoff, Paul

    Organizations: National Science Foundation Nanosystems Engineering Research Center on Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment [EEC-1449500]; National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) by the Korean Government (MSIP) [NRF2015R1A5A7037825]; National Science Foundation [NNCI-ECCS-1542160]

    Keywords: desalination; fouling; membrane; water treatment; ultraviolet

    A new optimized ultraviolet (UV) technique induced a photooxidation surface modification on thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide (PA) brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) membranes that improved membrane performance (i.e., permeability and organic fouling propensity). Commercial PA membranes were irradiated with UV-B light (285 nm), and the changes in the membrane performance were assessed through dead-end and cross-flow tests. UV-B irradiation at 12 J.cm(-2) enhanced the pure water permeability by 34% in the deadend tests without decreasing the mono- or divalent ion rejections, as compared with the pristine PA membrane, and led to less fouling by natural organic matter in the cross-flow tests. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that UV-B irradiation opened the pore structure and created carboxylic and amine groups on the PA surface, leading to increased membrane surface charge and hydrophilicity. Thus, an optimal UV-B dose appears to modify only a thin layer of the PA membrane surface, which favorably enhances the membrane performance. UV-B did not alter the structure, flux, or salt rejection for cellulose triacetate (CTA)-based membranes. While other membrane surface modifications include oxidants, strong acids, and bases, the UV-B facile treatment is chemical-free, thus reducing chemical wastes, and easy to apply in roll-to-roll fabrication processes of PA membranes. The results also showed that a low UV irradiation dose could be applied to PA or CTA membranes for disinfection or photocatalytic oxidation.
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