Removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solution via micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration

To separate cadmium ions from aqueous solution efficiently, micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration(MEUF) of hollow ultrafiltration membrane was used, with sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecyl (sulfate) (SDS) as surfactants. The important parameters affecting the rejection of cadmium, the permeate flux and the secondary resistance were investigated, including surfactant species, surfactant concentration, operating time, trans-membrane pressure, the addition of electrolyte and solution pH. The results show that the rejection rate of cadmium reaches 97.8%. Trans-membrane pressure and the addition of electrolyte (NaCl) are less influential while surfactant species, surfactant concentration and pH value are important for micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration. The optimum concentration of surfactant is the critical micelle concentration, and SDBS is better than SDS. (Micellar-)(enhanced) ultrafiltration with SDBS can separate cadmium ions from aqueous solution efficiently.

Adsorption characteristics of zinc ions on sodium dodecyl sulfate in process of micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration

To separate zinc ions from aqueous solution efficiently, micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration(MEUF) of hollow ultrafiltration membrane was used with sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) as surfactant.The formation of micellar and the adsorption mechanism were investigated, including the influence of the ratio of SDS to zinc ions on the micelle quantity, the micelle ratio, the gross adsorptive capacity, the rejection of zinc ions and the adsorption isotherm law. The results show that the rejection rate of zinc ions reaches 97% and the adsorption of zinc ions on SDS conforms to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and the adsorption is a chemical adsorption process.

High performance photodegradation resistant PVA@TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES self-healing reactive ultrafiltration membrane

The occurrence of ultrafiltration(UF)membrane fouling frequently hampers the sustainable advancement of UF technology.Reactive self-cleaning UF membranes can effectively alleviate the problem of membrane fouling.Nevertheless,the self-cleaning process may accelerate membrane aging.Addressing these concerns,we present an innovative design concept for composite self-healing materials based on self-cleaning UF membranes.To begin,TiO_(2)nanoparticles were incorporated into the polymer molecular structure via molecular design,resulting in the synthesis of TiO_(2)/carboxyl-polyether sulfone(PES)hybrid materials.Subsequently,the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion technique was employed to prepare a novel of UF membrane.Lastly,a polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)hydrogel coating was applied to the hybrid UF membrane surface to create PVA@TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES self-healing reactive UF membranes.By establishing a covalent bond,the TiO_(2)nanoparticles were effectively and uniformly dispersed within the UF membrane,leading to exceptional self-cleaning properties.Furthermore,the water-absorbing and swelling properties of PVA hydrogel,along with its capacity to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules,resulted in UF membranes with improved hydrophilicity and active self-healing abilities.The results demonstrated that the water contact angle of PVA@5%TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES UF membrane was 43.1°.Following a 1-h exposure to simulated solar exposure,the water flux recovery ratio increased from 48.16%to 81.03%.Moreover,even after undergoing five cycles of 12-h simulated sunlight exposure,the UF membranes exhibited a consistent retention rate of over 97%,thus fully demonstrating their exceptional self-cleaning,antifouling,and selfhealing capabilities.We anticipate that the self-healing reactive UF membrane system will serve as a pioneering and comprehensive solution for the self-cleaning antifouling challenges encountered in UF membranes while also effectively mitigating the aging effects of reactive UF membranes.

Towards superior permeability and antifouling performance of sulfonated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes modified with sulfopropyl methacrylate functionalized SBA-15

A non-solvent induced phase separation(NIPS)process was used to fabricate a series of sulfonated polyethersulfone(SPES)membranes blending with different concentrations of SBA-15-g-PSPA with the applications in the ultrafiltration(UF)process.SBA-15 was modified with 3-methacrylate-propyltrime thoxysilane(MPS)to form SBA-15-g-MPS.It was further modified with the charge tailorable polymer chains by reacting with 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt.The nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed and finger-like channels were developed within the membrane.The adding of surface modified SBA-15-g-PSPA nanoparticles has significantly improved membrane water permeability,hydrophilicity,and antifouling properties.The pure water fluxes of the composite SPES membranes were significantly higher than the pristine SPES membrane.For the membrane containing 5%(mass)of SBA-15-g-PSPA(MSSPA5),the pure water flux was increased dramatically to 402.15 L
m^(-2)·h^(-1),which is ~1.5 times that of MSSPA0(268.0 L
m^(-2)·h^(-1)).The high flux rate was achieved with 3%(mass)of SBA-15 nanoparticles with retained high rejection ratio 98%for natural organic matter.The results indicate that the fashioned composite membrane comprising SBA-15-g-PSPA nanoparticles have a promising future in ultrafiltration applications.

Extracorporeal veno-venous ultrafiltration in congestive heart failure:What’s the state of the art?A mini-review

Hospitalizations for heart failure exceed 1 million per year in both the United States and Europe and more than 90%are due to symptoms and signs of fluid overload.Rates of rehospitalizations or emergency department visit at 60 days are remarkable regardless of whether loop diuretics were administered at low vs high doses or by bolus injection vs continuous infusion.Ultrafiltration(UF)has been considered a promising alternative to stepped diuretic therapy and it consists in the mechanical,adjustable removal of iso-tonic plasma water across a semipermeable membrane with the application of hydrostatic pressure gradient generated by a pump.Fluid removal with ultrafiltration presents several advantages such as elimination of higher amount of sodium with less neurohormonal activation.However,the conflicting results from UF studies highlight that patient selection and fluid removal targets are not completely understood.The best way to assess fluid status and therefore establish the fluid removal target is also still a matter of debate.Herein,we provide an up-to-date systematic review about the role of ultrafiltration among patients with fluid overload and its gaps in daily practice.

Effect of coagulation pretreatment on the fouling of ultrafiltration membrane

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter （NOM）. A relatively higher molecular weight （MW） of hydrophobic compounds was responsible for a rapid decline in the ultrafiltration flux. Coagulation could effectively remove the hydrophobic organics, resulting in the increase of flux. It was found that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds, which could remove inadequately by coagulation, was responsible for the slow declining flux. The fluxes in the filtration of coagulated water and supernatant water were compared and the results showed that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds remained in the supernatant water after coagulation could be rejected by a membrane, resulting in fouling. It was also found that the coagulated flocs could absorb neutral hydrophilic compounds effectively. Therefore, with the coagulated flocs formed on the membrane surface, the flux decline could be improved.

Flux enhancement during ultrafiltration of produced water using turbulence promoter

Concentration polarization and membrane fouling remain one of the major hurdles for the implementation of ultrafiltration of produced water. Although many applications for ultrafiltration were already suggested, only few were implemented on an industrial scale. Among those techniques, turbulence promoter can be more simple and effective in overcoming membrane fouling and enhancing membrane flux. As for the result that turbulence promoter increase fluid velocity, wall shear rates and produce secondary flows or instabilities, the influence of turbulence promoter was investigated on permeate flux during produced water ultrafiltration and the potential application of this arrangement for an industrial development. Experimental investigations were performed on 100 KDa molecular weight cut-off PVDF single-channel tubular membrane module using four kinds of turbulence promoters. It is observed that the significant flux enhancement in the range of 83%--164% was achieved while the hydraulic dissipated power per unit volume of permeate decreased from 31%--42%, which indicated that the using of turbulence promoter is more efficient than operation without the turbulence promoter. The effects of transmembrane pressure and cross-flow velocity with and without turbulence promoter were studied as well. Among the four kinds of turbulence promoters, winding inserts with 20.0 mm pitch and 1.0 mm wire diameter showed better performances than the others did.

Ultrafiltration with in-line coagulation for the removal of natural humic acid and membrane fouling mechanism

Experimental and theoretical analysis were made on the natural humic acid removal and the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration （UF） with in-line coagulation. The results showed dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and UV254 removals by the UF with in-line coagulation at pH 7 were increased from 28% to 53% and 40% to 78% in comparison with direct UF treatment respectively. At the same time, the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography showed that UF with coagulation had significant improvement of removal of humic acid with molecular weights less than 6000 Da in particular. Compared to direct UF, the in-line coagulation UF also kept more constant permeate flux and very slight increase oftransmembrane pressure during a filtration circle. Two typical membrane fouling models were used by inducing two coefficients Kc and Kp corresponding to cake filtration model and pore narrowing model respectively. It was found that membrane fouling by pore-narrowing effect was effectively alleviated and that by cake-filtration was much decreased by in-line coagulation. Under the condition of coagulation prior to ultrafiltration at pH 7, the cake layer formed on the membrane surface became thicker, but the membrane filtration resistance was lower than that at pH 5 with the extension of operation time.

Fouling of WO3 nanoparticle-incorporated PSf membranes in ultrafiltration of landfill leachate and dairy a combined wastewaters： An investigation using model

As fouling has always been a major drawback of membrane technology, qualitative and quantitative understanding of membrane fouling mechanisms therefore becomes vital in order to help push membrane separation technologies forward. In this study, firstly, self-cleaning Polysulfone(PSf) membranes were synthesized by incorporation of WO_3nanoparticles(0–2 wt%) and subsequent UV irradiation for efficient ultrafiltration(UF)of landfill leachate and dairy wastewater. The membrane surface properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and contact angle analysis. It was found that UV-irradiated membranes exhibited higher percent COD removals due to the hydrophilicity and photocatalytic properties of nano-WO_3. Subsequently, in order to analyze the fouling behavior of the membranes, a set of experimental data from cross-flow ultrafiltration of municipal landfill leachate and industrial dairy wastewater at 25 °C was obtained. A new model of membrane fouling was proposed based on a resistance in series concept and was fitted well with all experimental data sets.Almost all relative errors of prediction provided by the proposed model were less than 2.5%. In addition, it was revealed that this newly-developed model exhibited smooth transition between the common successive twostep pore blockage-cake filtration phenomena and thus eliminates the need to use separate equations for different mechanisms.

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol)(PSF-b-PEG, SFEG)composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin(BSA)/humic acid(HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

Optical properties of estuarine dissolved organic matter isolated using cross-flow ultrafiltration

Dissolved organic matter （DOM） from freshwater, mid-salinity, and seawater endmember samples in the Jiulong River Estuary, China were fractionated using cross-flow ultrafiltration with a 10-kDa membrane. The colloidal organic matter （COM; 10 kDa-0.22 pm） retentate, low molecular weight （LMW） DOM （〈10 kDa） permeate, and bulk samples were analyzed using absorption spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix spectroscopy. The UV-visible spectra of COM were very similar to those obtained for permeate and bulk samples, decreasing monotonically with increasing wavelength. Most of the chromophoric DOM （CDOM, expressed as the absorption coefficient a355） occurred in the LMW fraction, while the percentage of CDOM in the colloidal fraction was substantially higher in the freshwater endmembet （13.4% of the total） than in the seawater endmember （6.8%）. The bulk CDOM showed a conservative mixing behavior in the estuary, while there was removal of the COM fraction and a concurrent addition of the permeate fraction in the mid-salinity sample, implying that part of the colloidal CDOM was transformed into LMW CDOM. Two humic-like components （CI： 〈250, 325/402 nm; and C2： 265, 360/458 nm） and one protein-like component （C3：275/334 nm） were identified using parallel factor analysis. The contributions of the C1, C2, and C3 components of the COM fraction to the bulk sample were 2.5%-8.7%, 4.8%-12.6%, and 7.4%-14.7%, respectively, revealing that fluorescent DOM occurred mainly in the LMW fraction in the Jiulong River Estuary. The C1 and C2 components in the retentate and permeate samples showed conservative mixing behavior, but the intensity ratio of C2/C1 was higher in the retentate than in the permeate fractions for all salinity samples, showing that the humic component was more enriched in the COM than the fulvic component. The intensity ratio of C3/（C 1 ＋C2） was much higher in the retentate than in the permeate fraction for mid-salinity and seawater samples, revealing that the protein-like component was relatively more enriched in COM than the humic-like component. The contribution of the protein-like component （C3） to the total fluorescence in the retentate increased from 14% in the freshwater endmember to 72% for the seawater endmember samples, clearly indicating the variation of dominance by the humic-like component compared to the protein-like component during the estuarine mixing process of COM.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry（LC/MS） method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents（SM-MBC）. This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs）, including Puerariae Radix（PR） and Chuanxiong Radix（CR）. A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on Hep G2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Peritoneal dialysis for chronic cardiorenal syndrome:Lessons learned from ultrafiltration trials

The current models of cardiorenal syndrome(CRS) are mainly based on a cardiocentric approach; they assume that worsening renal function is an adverse consequence of the decline in cardiac function rather than a separate and independent pathologic phenomenon. If this assumption were true,then mechanical extraction of fluid(i.e.,ultrafiltration therapy) would be expected to portend positive impact on renal hemodynamics and function through improvement in cardio-circulatory physiology and reduction in neurohormonal activation. However,currently available ultrafiltration trials,whether in acute heart failure(AHF) or in CRS,have so far failed to show any improvement in renal function; they have reported no impact or even observed adverse renal outcomes in this setting. Moreover,the presence or absence of renal dysfunction seems to affect the overall safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration therapy in AHF. This manuscript briefly reviews cardiorenal physiology in AHF and concludes that therapeutic options for CRS should not only target cardio-circulatory status of the patients,but they need to also have the ability of addressing the adverse homeostatic consequences of the associated decline in renal function. Peritoneal dialysis(PD) can be such an option for the chronic cases of CRS as it has been shown to provide efficient intracorporeal ultrafiltration and sodium extraction in volume overloaded patients while concurrently correcting the metabolic consequences of diminished renal function. Currently available trials on PD in heart failure have shown the safety and efficacy of this therapeutic modality for patients with chronic CRS and suggest that it could represent a pathophysiologically and conceptually relevant option in this setting.

Apple Pectin Behavior Separated by Ultrafiltration

Separation conditions of ultrafiltration for apple pectin, weights and their structures and properties are studied and relations between apple pectin with different relative molecular Five kinds of ultrafiltration membranes with different molecular weight cut-offs are used to separate apple pectin. FT-IR and HPGC are used individually to determine the structures and monosaccharide composition of apple pectin with different relative molecular weights. In the case of transmembrane pressure difference of 0.08 MPa, material concentration of 1 g·L^-1, and temperature of 50℃, 6 kinds of apple pectins with different molecular weights have been obtained. Molecular weight of apple pectin is correspondingly related to its physicochemical properties. The galacturonic acid contents and esterification and gelatination degrees increase relatively with an increase in molecular weight, and the monosaccharide composition relatively increase much more. And at the same time, the ultrafiltration has a better role to play in decoloring apple pectin solution. Accordingly, this research can be used as a new method for in-depth exploration of apple pectin.

Photochemical surface modification of poly(arylsulfone) ultrafiltration membrane and covalent immobilization of enzyme

The sensitivity of poly(arylsulfone)(PSf) for UV irradiation in different solvents(water and ethanol) was investigated. It is confirmed that acrylic acid(AA) and acrylamide(AAm) are grafted only onto the surface of the membrane instead of the interior by FTIR and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The membrane performance(Δ J/J 0 and contact angle θ ) after photografting was studied. In the range of conditions used, the grafting yield increases with irradiation time and monomer concentration growing. After photografting and N 3 dimethyl aminopropyl N' ethycarbodiimide hydrochloride(EDC) activation, PSf membrane was immobilized with hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase, and showed a higher activity than the control membrane.

Characterization of Natural Organic Matter and Disinfection Byproducts Formation Potential in Pilot-Scale Coagulation-Ultrafiltration Membrane Combined Process in Winter

A pilot-scale ultrafiltration membrane plant was set up for treating Luanhe River water with flocculating and precipitation process of waterworks.The aim is to investigate the variation and characteristics of natural organic matter and disinfection byproducts formation potential in the whole process in winter.The results show that dissolved organic matter(DOM),UV254,trihalomethanes formation potential(THMsFP) and haloacetic acids formation potential(HAAsFP) of Luanhe River water were mainly distributed in the range of molecular weight(MW) <1 kDa,so were the membrane feed water and treated water by membrane.Specific UV absorbance,specific THMsFP and specific HAAsFP have the maximal value in the MW fraction of 1-3 kDa,except that specific UV absorbance of membrane feed water is in the range of 3-10 kDa;DOM of membrane backwash water is mainly distributed in the range of MW>30 kDa and MW<1 kDa.It is the DOM in water backwashing in up way that made significant contribution to the higher dissolved organic carbon content in membrane backwash water.However,UV254,THMsFP and HAAsFP were mainly distributed in the range of MW<1 kDa.The highest concentrations of specific THMsFP and specific HAAsFP appeared in the MW fraction of 3-10 kDa.CHCl3 was the major THMs species during MBW chlorination and occupied more than 60% of the total THMsFP.Dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid were the main components in HAAsFP.The concentration of THMsFP and HAAsFP in MBW was influenced by operation period.

A Pilot-scale Study on Coal Gasification Wastewater Reclamation Using Pretreatment Alternatives Combined with Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis

Aims to investigate the performance of the pilot-scale reclamation plant for coal gasification wastewater( CGW) using ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis with appropriate pretreatment alternatives,different pre-treatment alternatives- coagulation,adsorption,and ozonation methods were employed to treat the secondary effluent of coal gasification wastewater( SECGW) in a pilot-scale pressurized membrane system. The performance was compared to choose the most suitable pre-treatment alternative for the SECGW reclamation.Ozone reaction achieved highest COD removal efficiency( 79.6%- 91.0%),resulting in the stable normalized parameters of the subsequent ultrafiltration and reverse osmoses. In contrast,the coagulation and adsorption processes achieved only 32. 8%- 45. 7% and 53. 1%- 64. 6% decreases in COD,respectively. The residual organic pollutants in the reverse osmosis feed water led to an increase in normalized pressure drop and a decrease in normalized permeability( or membrane transference coefficient). The hydrophobic fraction was the main constituent( approx. 70% of DOC) in pretreated SECGW, and the hydrophobic-neutral fraction contributed mostly to the UV absorbance( 53%). Fluorescence excitation emission matrices revealed that ozonation removed most of the hydrophobic and aromatic proteins such as tyrosine and tryptophan which dominated in raw wastewater. The recalcitrant compounds such as phenolic compounds, heterocyclic compounds,especially long-chain hydrocarbons,which were easily attached to the membrane surface and contributed to organic fouling,could be oxidized and mineralized by ozone. Among the three pretreatments,ozonation showed highest removal efficiencies of hydrophobic and aromatic proteins,therefore resulting in highest normalized permeability.

Charged modified tight ceramic ultrafiltration membranes for treatment of cationic dye wastewater

Tight ceramic ultrafiltration membranes have been proven to exhibit good rejection performance for reactive dye wastewater at high temperatures because of their high thermal and chemical resistance.However,the application of ceramic membranes for the treatment of cationic dye wastewater is challenging because of their surface charge.In this study,a ceramic membrane is modified by grafting aminosilane(KH-551)to enhance the positive charge of the membrane surface.The rejection performance of the charged modified ceramic membrane toward the methylene blue solution is significantly improved.The modification substance is bonded to the ceramic membrane surface via covalent bonding,which imparts good thermal stability.The modified ceramic membrane exhibits stable separation performance toward the methylene blue solution.Overall,this study provides valuable guidance for the adjustment of the ceramic membrane surface charge for treating industrial cationic dye wastewater.

On the integrity of a commercial cassette ultrafiltration membrane: implications for marine colloidal biogeochemistry

The performance and integrity of a cassette cross-flow ultrafilter （Pellicon 2, Millipore） are examined with a suite of macromolecules of different molecular masses. The retention coefficient during the cross-flow ultrafiltration experiments increases with increasing molecular mass and reaches 90% with 10 kDa dextran in both milli-Q water and ultrafiltered seawater media. Based on a 90% retention coefficient, the molecular mass cut-off for the ultrafiltration membrane is defined at 10 kDa, which is ten times （1 kDa） that rated by the manufacturer. To further validate the accuracy of the laboratory calibration, the samples from the lower Zhujiang River and the Jiulong River Estuary are ultrafiltered with the cassette ultrafiltration membrane and the colloidal organic carbon abundances in these samples are quantified with the ultrafiltration per- meation model based on time series permeation subsamples. The colloidal organic carbon abundances are 5.8%-21.1% in the Jiulong River Estuary and 5.6%-11.0% in the lower Zhujiang River. These are consistent with the reported values for both estuaries as well as with the colloidal organic carbon abundances in ma- rine environments over the coastal and open oceans with 10 kDa cut-off membranes. Therefore, these field data support the laboratory calibration result and indicate the validity of the experimental and quantification procedure adopted. The discrepancy between the nominal molecular mass cut-off and the actual pore size of the ultrafiltration membrane should be of great concern for research in colloidal and nanoparticle biogeochemistry. Careflfl examination of the membrane integrity should be taken during ultrafiltration ex- oeriments in order to avoid misleading molecular mass cut-off information.

Preparation and properties of metal-PVA composite hydrophilic ultrafiltration membranes

Metal-polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) composite ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by coating a certain concentration of PVA solution on metallic fiber sintered membranes. The effects of preparation conditions, such as the coating solution concentration, sequence and times of coating, and heat-treatment on the properties of the composite membranes were studied. The results show that the hole diameter of the composite membrane decreases with the increase of the concentration of PVA, the hole diameter of composite membrane is different when the sequence of coating is different. When the higher concentration of PVA solution is used to coat the metallic membrane for the first time and the other smaller one for the second time, the hole diameter of the composite membrane is relatively small, compared with that of the composite membrane made by the smaller concentration of PVA solution for the first time and the other higher one for the second time. The holes of the composite membrane contract and the stability of the membrane is improved by heat treatment. When metal-PVA composite hydrophilic membranes are used to treat the oil/water emulsion with the concentration of 1 000 mg·L -1 , the retention is from 80% to 90%, and the permeate flux is from 15 L·m -2 ·h -1 to 40 L·m -2 ·h -1 at pressure of 0.2 to 0.3 MPa.