Superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes for organic fouling control: fouling behavior and antifouling mechanisms.

This study investigates the fouling behavior and fouling resistance of superhydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. Fouling experiments in both forward osmosis and reverse osmosis modes are performed with three model organic foulants: alginate, bovine serum albumin, and Suwannee river natural organic matter. A solution comprising monovalent and divalent salts is employed to simulate the solution chemistry of typical wastewater effluents. Reduced fouling is consistently observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to control thin-film composite polyamide membranes, in both reverse and forward osmosis modes. The fouling resistance and cleaning efficiency of the functionalized membranes is particularly outstanding in forward osmosis mode where the driving force for water flux is an osmotic pressure difference. To understand the mechanism of fouling, the intermolecular interactions between the foulants and the membrane surface are analyzed by direct force measurement using atomic force microscopy. Lower adhesion forces are observed for the superhydrophilic membranes compared to the control thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The magnitude and distribution of adhesion forces for the different membrane surfaces suggest that the antifouling properties of the superhydrophilic membranes originate from the barrier provided by the tightly bound hydration layer at their surface, as well as from the neutralization of the native carboxyl groups of thin-film composite polyamide membranes.

[1]  F. .. Nieves,et al.  Protein co-adsorption on different polystyrene latexes: Electrokinetic characterization and colloidal stability , 1997 .

[2]  Tong Zhan,et al.  Flux patterns and membrane fouling propensity during desalination of seawater by forward osmosis. , 2012, Water research.

[3]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Highly hydrophilic thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes functionalized with surface-tailored nanoparticles. , 2012, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[4]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Chemical and physical aspects of cleaning of organic-fouled reverse osmosis membranes , 2006 .

[5]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Comparison of fouling behavior in forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO) , 2010 .

[6]  Tai Hyun Park,et al.  Design of TiO2 nanoparticle self-assembled aromatic polyamide thin-film-composite (TFC) membrane as an approach to solve biofouling problem , 2003 .

[7]  G. Whitesides,et al.  A Survey of Structure−Property Relationships of Surfaces that Resist the Adsorption of Protein , 2001 .

[8]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Forward with osmosis: emerging applications for greater sustainability. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[9]  M. Elimelech,et al.  Biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes: Role of biofilm-enhanced osmotic pressure , 2007 .

[10]  E. R. Fisher,et al.  Membrane Surface Modification by Plasma-Induced Polymerization of Acrylamide for Improved Surface Properties and Reduced Protein Fouling , 2003 .

[11]  B. Freeman,et al.  Influence of polydopamine deposition conditions on pure water flux and foulant adhesion resistance of reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and microfiltration membranes , 2010 .

[12]  Ngai Yin Yip,et al.  Thin-film composite pressure retarded osmosis membranes for sustainable power generation from salinity gradients. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[13]  Chuyang Y. Tang,et al.  Study of integration of forward osmosis and biological process: Membrane performance under elevated salt environment , 2011 .

[14]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Colloidal fouling in forward osmosis: Role of reverse salt diffusion , 2012 .

[15]  Shuichi Takayama,et al.  Zwitterionic SAMs that Resist Nonspecific Adsorption of Protein from Aqueous Buffer. , 2001, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[16]  M. Elimelech,et al.  Relating organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes to intermolecular adhesion forces. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[17]  R. Baier,et al.  Surface behaviour of biomaterials: The theta surface for biocompatibility , 2006, Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine.

[18]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Fouling and cleaning of RO membranes fouled by mixtures of organic foulants simulating wastewater ef , 2011 .

[19]  M. Elimelech,et al.  Organic fouling and chemical cleaning of nanofiltration membranes: measurements and mechanisms. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[20]  M. Elimelech,et al.  The Future of Seawater Desalination: Energy, Technology, and the Environment , 2011, Science.

[21]  Anthony G Fane,et al.  Fouling propensity of forward osmosis: investigation of the slower flux decline phenomenon. , 2010, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[22]  A. Docoslis,et al.  The interfacial tensions with water and the Lewis acid-base surface tension parameters of polar organic liquids derived from their aqueous solubilities. , 2001, Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces.

[23]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Self-Assembled Monolayers That Resist the Adsorption of Proteins and the Adhesion of Bacterial and Mammalian Cells , 2001 .

[24]  Dezhong Xiao,et al.  The role of physical and chemical parameters on forward osmosis membrane fouling during algae separa , 2011 .

[25]  M. Fayer.  Dynamics of water interacting with interfaces, molecules, and ions. , 2012, Accounts of chemical research.

[26]  G. Belfort,et al.  High throughput atmospheric pressure plasma-induced graft polymerization for identifying protein-resistant surfaces. , 2012, Biomaterials.

[27]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Relating performance of thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes to support layer formation and , 2011 .

[28]  Karen L Wooley,et al.  The antifouling and fouling-release performance of hyperbranched fluoropolymer (HBFP)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) composite coatings evaluated by adsorption of biomacromolecules and the green fouling alga Ulva. , 2005, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[29]  D.J.H. Harmsen,et al.  Membrane fouling and process performance of forward osmosis membranes on activated sludge , 2008 .

[30]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  High performance thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[31]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Chemical cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater effluent: Achieving higher efficiency with du , 2011 .

[32]  M. Chaudhury,et al.  Monopolar surfaces. , 1987, Advances in colloid and interface science.

[33]  A. Mayes,et al.  Ultrafiltration membranes incorporating amphiphilic comb copolymer additives prevent irreversible adhesion of bacteria. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[34]  T. Matsuura,et al.  Surface modifications for antifouling membranes. , 2010, Chemical reviews.

[35]  A. Dokter,et al.  Anomalous slowing down of the vibrational relaxation of liquid water upon nanoscale confinement. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[36]  Chuyang Y. Tang,et al.  Coupled effects of internal concentration polarization and fouling on flux behavior of forward osmosis membranes during humic acid filtration , 2010 .

[37]  Jaeweon Cho,et al.  Applicability of Sherwood correlations for natural organic matter (NOM) transport in nanofiltration (NF) membranes , 2004 .

[38]  Shuren Chou,et al.  Membrane biofouling and scaling in forward osmosis membrane bioreactor , 2012 .

[39]  M. Elimelech,et al.  Direct quantification of negatively charged functional groups on membrane surfaces , 2012 .

[40]  Jack Gilron,et al.  Seawater desalination for agriculture by integrated forward and reverse osmosis: Improved product water quality for potentially less energy , 2012 .

[41]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Covalent binding of single-walled carbon nanotubes to polyamide membranes for antimicrobial surface properties. , 2011, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[42]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[43]  E. Giannelis,et al.  Superhydrophilic and solvent resistant coatings on polypropylene fabrics by a simple deposition process , 2010 .

[44]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Chemical and physical aspects of organic fouling of forward osmosis membranes , 2008 .

[45]  M Morra,et al.  On the molecular basis of fouling resistance , 2000, Journal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition.

[46]  A. Mohammad,et al.  Using atomic force microscopy towards improvement in nanofiltration membranes properties for desalination pre-treatment: A review , 2003 .

[47]  O. A. Bamaga,et al.  Hybrid FO/RO desalination system: Preliminary assessment of osmotic energy recovery and designs of new FO membrane module configurations , 2011 .

[48]  G. Belfort,et al.  Atomic Force Microscopy for Low-Adhesion Surfaces: Thermodynamic Criteria, Critical Surface Tension, and Intermolecular Forces , 2001 .

[49]  J. Jegal,et al.  Preparation and characterization of polyamide nanofiltration composite membranes with TiO2 layers chemically connected to the membrane surface , 2007 .

[50]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Structural Growth and Viscoelastic Properties of Adsorbed Alginate Layers in Monovalent and Divalent Salts , 2006 .

[51]  Linda Zou,et al.  Recent developments in forward osmosis : opportunities and challenges. , 2012 .

[52]  Yiming Cao,et al.  A novel method of surface modification on thin-film composite reverse osmosis membrane by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) , 2007 .

[53]  B. Freeman,et al.  Composite Membranes Based on a Selective Chitosan—Poly(ethylene glycol) Hybrid Layer: Synthesis, Characterization, and Performance in Oil—Water Purification , 2010 .

[54]  M. Elimelech,et al.  Organic fouling of forward osmosis membranes: Fouling reversibility and cleaning without chemical reagents , 2010 .

[55]  Amy E. Childress,et al.  The forward osmosis membrane bioreactor: A low fouling alternative to MBR processes , 2009 .

[56]  Menachem Elimelech,et al.  Reverse draw solute permeation in forward osmosis: modeling and experiments. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[57]  J. Callow,et al.  Trends in the development of environmentally friendly fouling-resistant marine coatings. , 2011, Nature communications.

[58]  Huabing Yin,et al.  Atomic force microscopy studies of membrane—solute interactions (fouling)☆ , 2002 .

[59]  Muna Al Mazrooei.  Modeling Water Flux in Forward Osmosis: Implications for Improved Membrane Design , 2013 .

[60]  B. Freeman,et al.  PEG-coated reverse osmosis membranes: Desalination properties and fouling resistance , 2009 .