NOVEL HIGH-FLUX ANTIFOULING MEMBRANE COATINGS

MEMBRANE FOULING, THE LONG-TERM IRREVERSIBLE DECLINE IN PERMEATE FLUX, GREATLY LIMITS THE APPLICATION OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT MEMBRANES TO INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING NEEDS. THE ECONOMICS OF MANY CURRENT MEMBRANE PROCESSES WOULD BE IMPROVED AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBRANE APPLICATIONS WOULD BE ACCELERATED IF EXISTING MEMBRANES COULD BE MODIFIEDTO EXHIBIT (1) HIGHER PERMEATE FLUXES WITHOUT ATTENDANT LOSSOF SELECTIVITY, (2) HIGHER RESISTANCE TO FOULING, AND (3) IMPROVED RESPONSE TO CLEANING PROCEDURES. IN THIS FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM, A NOVEL MATERIALS CONCEPT WILLBE PURSUED TO MODIFY THE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTING MEMBRANES. THIS APPROACH PLACES AN ULTRATHIN COAT OF A NATURALLY OCCURRING, HIGHLY HYDROPHILIC POLYMER ON THE SURFACE OF EXISTING MEMBRANES. THE COATED MEMBRANE PROMISESTO EXHIBIT IMPROVED WATER FLUX, IMPROVED RESISTANCE TO FOULING BY PROTEINACEOUS AND OILY MATERIALS, AND IMPROVED RESPONSE TO CLEANING PROCEDURES. THE CONCEPT IS APPLICABLE TO A WIDE RANGE OF MEMBRANES, INCLUDING THOSE USED FOR MICROFILTRATION, NANOFILTRATION, DIALYSIS, ELECTRODIALYSIS, ULTRAFILTRATION, AND REVERSE OSMOSIS.