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.

Spray coating of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block polymer on macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling for composite ultrafiltration membranes

Polysulfone(PSF) is extensively used for the production of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes thanks to its high strength,chemical stability,and good processibility.However,PSF is intrinsically hydrophobic,and hydrophilic modification is always required to PSF-based membranes if they are intended to be used in aqueous systems.Facile strategies to prepare hydrophilic PSF membranes are thus highly demanded.Herein we spray coat a PSF-based amphiphilic block polymer onto macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling to prepare flat-sheet PSF UF membranes.The polymer is a triblock polymer containing PSF as the majority middle block tethered with shorter block of polyethylene glycol(PEG) on both ends,that is,PEG-b-PSF-b-PEG.We use the technique of spray coa ting to homogeneously dispense diluted triblock polymer solutions on the top of macroporous supports,instantly resulting in uniform,defect-free polymer coating layers with the thickness down to ~1.2 μm.The bi-layered composite structures are then immerged in ethanol/acetone mixture to generate mesoscale pores in the coating layers following the mechanism of selective swelling-induced pore generation,thus producing composite membranes with the mesoporous triblock polymer coating as the selective layers.This facile strategy is free from additional hydrophilic modification and much smaller dosages of polymers are used compared to conventional casting methods.The pore sizes,porositie s,hydrophilicity,and consequently the separation properties of the membranes can be flexibly tuned by changing the swelling duration and the composition of the swelling bath.This strategy combining spray coating and selective swelling is upscalable for the production of highperformance PSF UF membranes.

Preparation of antifouling ultrafiltration membranes from copolymers of polysulfone and zwitterionic poly(arylene ether sulfone)s

The past few decades have witnessed rapid gains in our demands of antifouling membranes such as water purification membranes and hemodialysis membranes.A variety of methodologies have been proposed for improving the antifouling performance and the hemocompatibility of the membranes.In this study,a series of copolymers(PSF-PESSB)containing polysulfone(PSF)and poly(arylene ether sulfone)bearing pendant zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups(PESSB)were prepared via one-pot polycondensation.Subsequently,the ultrafiltration(UF)membranes were prepared from different zwitterion-containing copolymers.The prepared membranes showed high thermal stability and mechanical properties.Besides,it also displayed attractive antifouling performance and blood compatibility.Compared with the original PSF membrane,the amount of protein absorption on the modified membrane was reduced;the flux recovery ratio and the resistance to blood cells were significantly improved.The results of this work suggest that PSF-PESSB membranes are expected to be applied in blood purification.The introduction of zwitterion-containing polymers to membranes paves ways for developing advanced hemodialysis technologies for crucial process.

Effects of coagulation-bath conditions on polyphenylsulfone ultrafiltration membranes

Polyphenylsulfone(PPSU)ultrafiltration membrane with different structures was prepared by nonsolvent-induced phase separation.The effects of coagulation bath conditions(concentration and temperature)on membrane morphology,pure water flux,pore size,porosity,and contact angle were studied and discussed based on ternary-phase diagrams.Results indicated that water had stronger coagulant power than ethanol,and that the morphology of the membrane prepared from the polyphenylsulfone/1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone/H_(2)O(PPSU/NMP/H_(2)O)system had finger-like structures.Conversely,sponge-like structures were observed for the PPSU/NMP/(NMP-H_(2)O)and PPSU/NMP/(70 NMP-EtOH-H_(2)O)systems.Ethanol also greatly influenced on membrane structures.According to the Scanning electronic microscopy(SEM)image,the composition(mass fraction)of casting solution is 16%PPSU-84%NMP and the coagulation bath consisting of 70%NMP-26%H_(2)O-4%C_(2)H_(5)OH.Meanwhile,the PPSU ultrafiltration membrane with spong-like was prepared under 8℃coagulation bath.The formation of sponge-like structure reduces the pure water flux of ppsu membrane from 488.39 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1)to 36.04 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1).It also reduces the gas permeability,porosity,and pore size of the membrane.The addition of ethanol and NMP into the coagulation bath increases the roughness of the PPSU ultrafiltration membrane and reduces the hydrophilicity of the membrane.

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.

Aging of PVDF and PES ultrafiltration membranes by sodium hypochlorite:Effect of solution pH

Sodium hypochlorite(NaClO)is a commonly applied cleaning agent for ultrafiltration membranes in water and wastewater treatment.Long-term exposure to NaClO might change the properties and performance of polymeric membranes,and ultimately shorten membrane lifespan.Active species in NaClO solution vary with solution pH,and the aging effects can change depending on the membrane material.In this study,the aging of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)and polyethersulfone(PES)membranes by NaClO at pH 3–11 was investigated by examining variations in chemical composition,surface charge,surface morphology,mechanical strength,permeability,and retention ability.Polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP),which was blended in both membranes,was oxidized and dislodged due to NaClO aging at all investigated pH values,but the oxidation products and dislodgement ratio of PVP varied with solution pH.For the PVDF membrane,NaClO aging at pH 3–11 caused a moderate increase in permeability and decreased retention due to the oxidation and release of PVP.The tensile strength decreased only at pH 11 because of the defluorination of PVDF molecules.For the PES membrane,NaClO aging at all investigated pH resulted in chain scission of PES molecules,which was favored at pH 7 and 9,potentially due to the formation of free radicals.Therefore,a decrease in tensile strength and retention ability,as well as an increase in permeability,occurred in the PES membrane for NaClO aging at pH 3–11.Overall,the results can provide a basis for selecting chemical cleaning conditions for PVDF and PES membranes.

Production of antihypertensive and antidiabetic peptide fractions from quinoa(Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)by electrodialysis with ultrafi ltration membranes

Processing bioactive peptides from natural sources using electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes(EDUF)have gained attention since it can fractionate in terms of their charge and molecular weight.Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal highlighted by its high protein content,amino acid profile and adapting growing conditions.The present work aimed at the production of quinoa peptides through fractionation using EDUF and to test the fractions according to antihypertensive and antidiabetic activity.Experimental data showed the production of peptides ranging between 0.4 and 1.5 k Da.Cationic(CQPF)(3.01%),anionic(AQPF)(1.18%)and the electrically neutral fraction quinoa protein hydrolysate(QPH)-EDUF(~95%)were obtained.In-vitro studies showed the highest glucose uptake modulation in L6 cell skeletal myoblasts in presence of QPH-EDUF and AQPF(17%and 11%)indicating potential antidiabetic activity.The antihypertensive effect studied in-vivo in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR),showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure in presence of the fractionated peptides,being 100 mg/kg a dose comparable to Captopril(positive control).These results contribute to the current knowledge of bioactive peptides from quinoa by reporting the relevance of EDUF as tool to produce selected peptide fractions.Nevertheless,further characterization is needed towards peptide sequencing,their respective role in the metabolism and scaling-up production using EDUF.

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.

Radiation-induced cross-linking:a novel avenue to permanent 3D modification of polymeric membranes

Membrane fouling is always the biggest problem in the practice of membrane separation technologies,which strongly impacts their applicability,separation efficiency,cost effectiveness,and service lifespan.Herein,a simple but effective 3D modification approach was designed for permanently functionalizing polymeric membranes by directly cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)under gamma-ray irradiation at room temperature without any additives.After the modification,a PVA layer was constructed on the membrane surface and the pore inner surface of polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)membranes.This endowed them with good hydrophilicity,low adsorption of protein model foulants,and easy recoverability properties.In addition,the pore size and distribution were customized by controlling the PVA concentration,which enhanced the rejection ability of the resultant membranes and converted them from microfiltration to ultrafiltration.The crosslinked PVA layer was equipped with the resultant membranes with good resistance to chemical cleaning by acidic,alkaline,and oxidative reagents,which could greatly prolong the membrane service lifetime.Furthermore,this approach was demonstrated as a universal method to modify PVDF membranes with other hydrophilic macromolecular modifiers,including polyethylene glycol,sodium alginate,and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.This modification of the membranes effectively endowed them with good hydrophilicity and antifouling properties,as expected.

A heterogeneous double chamber electro-Fenton with high production of H_(2)O_(2) using La–CeO_(2) modified graphite felt as cathode

Hydrogen peroxide synthesis by electro-reduction of O_(2) to substitute the current anthraquinone process has attracted a great deal of attention. Low oxygen utilization rate and low hydrogen peroxide production remain obstacles to electro-Fenton application. In situ H_(2)O_(2) generated by electrochemical reaction depends on the electrochemical performance of the cathode and the structure of the reactor. Here, novel graphite felt(GF) modified by La-doped CeO_(2)(La-CeO_(2)) was developed as a cathode. A new double chamber electro-Fenton reactor was proposed, where an organic ultrafiltration membrane was used to prevent H_(2)O_(2) from spreading to the anode. The effects of hydrothermal temperature, time and urea concentration on the electrochemical properties of graphite felt were investigated. The accumulated concentration of H_(2)O_(2) on the modified cathode reached 218.4 mg·L^(-1)in 1 h when the optimal conditions of hydrothermal temperature 120 ℃ and urea concentration 0.55%(mass) in 24 h. The degradation rate of methyl orange reached 98.29%. The new electro-Fenton reactor can efficiently produce hydrogen peroxide to degrade various organic substances and has a high potential for treating wastewater in the chemical industry.

Effect of additive on the formation of polyacrylonitrile membrane

The effect of additives CaCl\-2 and CaCl\-2/H\-2O on the properties of polyacrylonitrile(PAN) ultrafiltration(UF) membranes prepared by phase inversion process was studied. The dissolving capacity of the casting solution for CaCl\-2 was enhanced by the addition of H\-2O. The membranes are characterized in terms of the pure water flux and molecular weight cut\|off(MWCO). The addition of CaCl\-2 or CaCl\-2/H\-2O to the casting solution increases the resulting membrane permeability.

Detection of illegal dyes in foods using a polyethersulfone/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite membrane as a cleanup method

In this paper, a polyethersulfone （PES）/multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） composite membrane was prepared us- ing phase inversion. The surface morphology and internal structure of the membrane were observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The effects of MWCNTs content on various aspects of membrane performance such as porosity, water flux, and antifouling characteristics were investigated. Results showed that proper addition of MWCNTs would improve the properties of the membrane. MWCNTs had a strong adsorption capacity for industrial dyes and the composite membrane could be used as an effective method to identify and clean up illegal dyes in foods. In addition, this new method for iden- tifying dyes is rapid： the cleanup procedure in the determination of illegal dyes in foods by the composite membrane was shortened to 30 min or less compared to 6-8 h for traditional methods.

Uncovering the effect of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)molecular weight and vinyl alcohol content on morphology,antifouling,and permeation properties of polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane:thermodynamic and formation hydrodynamic behavior

Various hydrophilic poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)(EVOH)were used herein to precisely control the structure and hydrodynamic properties of polysulfone(PSF)membranes.Particularly,to prepare pristine PSF and PSF/EVOH blends with increasing vinyl alcohol(VOH:73%,68%,56%),the non-solvent-induced phase separation(NIPS)technique was used.Polyethylene glycol was used as a compatibilizer and as a porogen in N,Ndimethylacetamide.Rheological and ultrasonic separation kinetic measurements were also carried out to develop an ultrafiltration membrane mechanism.The extracted membrane properties and filtration capabilities were systematically compared to the proposed mechanism.Accordingly,the addition of EVOH led to an increase in the rheology of the dopes.The resulting membranes exhibited a microporous structure,while the finger-like structures became more evident with increasing VOH content.The PSF/EVOH behavior was changed from immediate to delayed segregation due to a change in the hydrodynamic kinetics.Interestingly,the PSF/EVOH32 membranes showed high hydrophilicity and achieved a pure water permeability of 264 L·m^(–2)·h^(–1)·bar^(–1),which was higher than that of pure PSF membranes(171 L·m^(–2)·h^(–1)·bar^(–1)).In addition,PSF/EVOH32 rejected bovine serum albumin at a high rate(>90%)and achieved a significant restoration of permeability.Finally,from the thermodynamic and hydrodynamic results,valuable insights into the selection of hydrophilic copolymers were provided to tailor the membrane structure while improving both the permeability and antifouling performance.

Impacts of sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite aging on polyvinylidene fluoride membranes fabricated with different methods

This study compared the effects of chemical aging on the polyvinylidene fluoride（PVDF）membranes fabricated with the methods of non-solvent induced phase separation（NIPS）（named NIPS-PVDF） and thermally induced phase separation（TIPS）（named TIPS-PVDF）. The chemical solutions of sodium hypochlorite（NaClO） and sodium hydroxide（NaOH） were chosen at the concentration of 5000 mg/L. The equivalence of 5 and 10 years was respectively selected as the time of aging. The physicochemical evolutions of membrane aging are characterized on the base of morphology analysis, chemical components, permeation ability and mechanical properties. The aging of NIPS-PVDF membrane led to the elimination of surface hydrophilic additives, while NaO H focused on the dehydrofluorination process resulting in the formation of conjugated chains of polyene on the skeleton structure. The chemical components of the surface of TIPS-PVDF membrane were removed continuously during the aging processes of both NaClO and NaOH, which was caused by the saponification of surface additives and the chain scissions of skeleton structure, but without producing any obvious conjugated chains of polyene. All the aging processes led to the increase of contact angle and the decrease of mechanical properties, and the permeability was reduced first and increased later due to the enlargement of surface membrane pores and membrane block. With the influence of membrane aging, selectivity of membrane was decreased（except coliform bacteria）. At the beginning of filtration, the turbidity and particle count were at relatively high levels and declined with the filtration process.

The effects of hydrogen peroxide pre-oxidation on ultrafiltration membrane biofouling alleviation in drinking water treatment

Pre-oxidation is widely used to reduce ultrafiltration membrane fouling. However, the variation in the composition of microbial communities and extracellular polymeric substances （EPSs） accompanying pre-oxidation in drinking water treatment has received little attention. In this study, hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） was used in a coagulation- ultrafiltration process with Al2（SO4）3.18H2O. A long-term reactor experiment （60 d） showed that pre-oxidation alleviated membrane fouling, mainly due to its inhibition of microbial growth, as observed by flow cytometry measurements of the membrane tank water. Further analysis of the formed cake layer demonstrated that the corresponding levels of EPS released from the microbes were lower with than without H202 treatment. In comparison to polysaccharides, proteins dominated the EPS. 2D-electrophoresis showed little difference （p 〉 0.05, Student＇s t-test） in the composition of proteins in the cake layer between the treatments with and without H2O2. The molecular weights of proteins ranged from approximately 30-50 kDa and the majority of isoelectric points ranged from 6 to 8. Highthroughput sequencing showed that the predominant bacteria were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia in both cake layers. However, the relative abundance of Planctomycetes was higher in the cake layer with H2O2 pre-oxidation, which was likely probably due to the strong oxidative resistance of its cell wall. Overall, our findings clarify the fundamental molecular mechanism in H2O2 pre-oxidation for ultrafiltration membrane bio-fouling alleviation in drinking water treatment.

Effects of a dynamic membrane formed with polyethylene glycol on the ultrafiltration of natural organic matter

The formation of a dynamic membrane(DM)was investigated using polyethylene glycol(PEG)(molecular weight of 35000 g/mol,concentration of 1 g/L).Two natural organic matters(NOM),Dongbok Lake NOM(DLNOM)and Suwannee River NOM(SRNOM)were used in the ultrafiltration experiments along with PEG.To evaluate the effects of the DM with PEG on ultrafiltration,various transport experiments were conducted,and the analyses of the NOM in the membrane feed and permeate were performed using high performance size exclusion chromatography,and the effective pore size distribution(effective PSD)and effective molecular weight cut off(effective MWCO)were determined.The advantages of DM formed with PEG can be summarized as follows:(1)PEG interferes with NOM transmission through the ultrafiltration membrane pores by increasing the retention coefficient of NOM in UF membranes,and(2)low removal of NOM by the DM is affected by external factors,such as pressure increases during UF membrane filtration,which decreases the effective PSD and effective MWCO of UF membranes.However,a disadvantage of the DM with PEG was severe flux decline;thus,one must be mindful of both the positive and negative influences of the DM when optimizing the UF performance of the membrane.

On the fouling mechanism of polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane in the treatment of coal gasification wastewater

Membrane fouling has been investigated by using a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane with the molecular weight cutoff of 20 kDa to treat crushed coal pressurized gasification wastewater. Under the conditions of different feed pressures, the permeate flux declines and rejection coefficients of pollutants referring to three parameters （total organic carbon （TOC）, chroma and turbidity） were studied. The membrane fouling mechanism was simulated with three classical membrane fouling models. The membrane image and pollutants were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrography （GC-MS）. The results indicate that the permeate flux decreases with volume reduction factor before reaching a constant value. The rejection coefficients were also measured： fTOC = 70.5%,fc = 84.9% andfa- = 91%. Further analysis shows that the higher the feed pressure is, the sooner the permeate flux reaches constant value and the more sharply the permeate flux declines. Constant flux indicates a nonlinear growth with feed pressure （PF）： when Pr equals 1.2 bar, the mark for the critical flux, slight membrane fouling occurs; when PF exceeds 1.2 bar, cake layer pollution aggravates. Also the rejection coefficients of global pollutant increases slightly with PF, suggesting the possibility of cake compression when PF exceeds 1.2 bar. Through regression analysis, the fouling of polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane could be fitted very well by cake filtration model. The membrane pollutants were identified as phthalate esters and long-chain alkenes by GC-MS, and a certain amount of inorganic pollutants by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Co-application of energy uncoupling and ultrafiltration in sludge treatment:Evaluations of sludge reduction,supernatant recovery and membrane fouling control

Energy uncoupling is often used for sludge reduction because it is easy to operate and does not require a significant amount of extra equipments(i.e.no additional tank required).However,over time the supernatant extracted using this method can deteriorate,ultimately requiring further treatment.The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using a low-pressure ultrafiltration membrane process for sludge water recovery after the sludge had undergone an energy uncoupling treatment(using 3,3’,4’,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide(TCS)).Energy uncoupling was found to break apart sludge floe by reducing extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)content.Analysis of supernatant indicated that when energy uncoupling and membrane filtration were coapplied and the TCS dosage was below 30 mg/L,there was no significant deterioration in organic component removal.However,ammonia and phosphate concentrations were found to increase as the concentration of TCS added increased.Additionally,due to low sludge concentrations and EPS contents,addition of 30-60 mg/L TCS during sludge reduction increased the permeate flux(two times higher than the control)and decreased the hydraulic reversible and cake layer resistances.In contrast,high dosage of TCS aggravated membrane fouling by forming compact fouling layers.In general,this study found that the co-application of energy uncoupling and membrane filtration processes represents an effective alternative method for simultaneous sludge reduction and sludge supernatant recovery.

Preparation and Properties of Poly(aryl ether sulfone ketone)Ultrafiltration Membrane Containing Fluorene Group for High Temperature Condensed Water Treatment

Novel poly（aryl ether sulfone ketone）s （PAESK） were synthesized from bisphenol A （BPA）, 9,9＇-bis（4-hydroxyphenyl） fluorene （BHPF）, 4,4＇-dichlorodiphenylsulfone （DCS） and 4,4＇-difluorobenzophenone （DFB） via nucleophilic substitution polymerization, which were subsequently used to fabricate ultrafiltration membrane by phase-inversion method for high temperature condensed water treatment. The obtained high molecular weight co-polymers with fluorene group with good solubility and good thermal stability, can be easily cast into flexible, white and non-transparent fiat films. The influence of molar ratio of BPA and BHPF on the properties of the prepared co-polymers and membranes was investigated in detail. SEM study of the morphology of the membranes indicated that the prepared membranes possessed homogeneous pores on the top surface and were sponge-like or finger-like in cross-section. Pure water flux of the membranes increased from 71.87 L·m-2.h-1 to 247.65 L·m-2.h-1, while the retention of BSA decreased slightly, and the water contact angle decreased from 82.1 ° to 55.6° with the PVP concentration from 0 wt% to 10 wt%. With increasing concentration of PVP, the mechanical properties of membranes decreased, while the thermal stability increased. The permeate flux measurement showed that the PAESK membrane had the potential for high temperature condensed water treatment.

Membrane fouling in ultrafiltration of natural water after pretreatment to different extents

The combined fouling during ultrafiltration（UF） of surface water pretreated to different extents was investigated to disclose the roles of polysaccharides, proteins, and inorganic particles in UF membrane fouling. Both reversible and irreversible fouling decreased with enhanced pretreatment（biologically active carbon（BAC） treatment and sand filtration）. The sand filter effluent fouled the membrane very slowly. The UF membrane removed turbidity to less than 0.1 nephelometric turbidity unit（NTU）, reduced polysaccharides by 25.4%–29.9%, but rejected few proteins. Both polysaccharides and inorganic particles were detected on the fouled membranes, but inorganic particles could be effectively removed by backwashing. The increase of turbidity in the sand filter effluent to 3.05 NTU did not significantly increase the fouling rate, but an increase in the turbidity in the BAC effluent to6.11 NTU increased the fouling rate by more than 100%. The results demonstrated that the polysaccharide, not the protein, constituents of biopolymers were responsible for membrane fouling. Membrane fouling was closely associated with a small fraction of polysaccharides in the feed water. Inorganic particles exacerbated membrane fouling only when the concentration of fouling–inducing polysaccharides in the feed water was relatively high. The combined fouling was largely reversible, and polysaccharides were the predominant substances responsible for irreversible fouling.