CLORINE-RESISTANT HOLLOW-FIBER REVERSE-OSMOSIS MEMBRANE ELEMENTS

COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE REVERSE-OSMOSIS MEMBRANES ARE CHEMICALLY ATTACHED BY CHLORINE. THUS, CHLORINATION CANNOT BE USED TO PREVENT BIOLOGICAL FOULING OF THE MEMBRANE ELEMENTS. WE PROPOSE DEVELOPMENT OF CHLORINE-RESISTANT MEMBRANE ELEMENTS FOR BRACKISH WATER AND SEA WATER DESALINATION. THE MEMBRANES WILL CONSIST OF A THIN POLYAMIDESALT REJECTING BARRIER ON THE INSIDE SURFACE OF POLYSULFONE HOLLOW FIBERS, THESE COMPOSITE HOLLOW FIBERS ARE USED IN TUBE SIDE FEED HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE ELEMENTS. SUCH ELEMENTSARE MORE FOULING RESISTANT THAN THOSE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, REDUCING PRETREATMENT REQUIREMENTS. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ARE RELATIVELY LIGHT-WEIGHT FOR THE REASON THAT THEY REQUIRE NO PRESSURE VESSEL. THEY ARE THUS HIGHLY SUITED TO MOBILE WATERPURIFICATION UNITS. IN PHASE I WE WILL PREPARE COMPOSITE HOLLOW-FIBER MEMBRANSE, MEMBRANE ELEMENTS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND EVALUATED FOR THEIR WATER FLUX, SALT REJECTION, AND RESISTANCE TO FEED WATER CONTAINING CHLORINE. OUR TARGET IS TO OBTAIN SMALL MEMBRANE ELEMENTS THAT CAN WITHSTAND 2000 PPM HR OF CHLORINE EXPOSURE.