Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation · 2008 · 15 citations · 6 references
EngineeringChemical EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringMembrane ScienceWater Quality EngineeringWater TreatmentMembrane CharacterizationMembrane EngineeringMembrane FiltrationMembrane MaterialsPolymer MembranesWater Desalination MembranesChlorine ResistanceDegradationDesalinationDesalination MembranesMembrane DegradationReverse Osmosis MembranesWater DesalinationWater Treatment Membranes
Polyamide reverse osmosis membrane used successfully for water desalination is made from the interfacial reaction of meta-phenylenediamine (MPD) with trimesoyl chloride. One problem with the membrane is that its performance is deteriorated upon prolonged exposure to chlorine often used for disinfecting feed water. ATR-FTIR and XPS analysis show chlorine reacts with the amide hydrogen and is attached to the polyamide membrane. A chlorine resistant membrane has been made using a non-MPD amine and appears to be five times as chlorine-resistant as the MPD-based membrane. ATR-FTIR and XPS analysis also show the chlorine-resistant membrane picks up chlorine much less than the MPD-based membrane upon exposure to chlorine. Monochloramine does not appear to affect adversely polyamide membranes.
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