Membrane and Water Treatment

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Effect of NH3 plasma on thin-film composite membrane: Relationship of membrane and plasma properties

  • Kim, Eun-Sik (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri) ;
  • Deng, Baolin (Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri)
  • Received : 2012.09.22
  • Accepted : 2013.03.08
  • Published : 2013.04.25
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Abstract

Surface modification by low-pressure ammonia ($NH_3$) plasma on commercial thin-film composite (TFC) membranes was investigated in this study. Surface hydrophilicity, total surface free energy, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and zeta (${\zeta}$)-potentials were determined for the TFC membranes. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the membrane surface chemistry were conducted by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. Results showed that the $NH_3$ plasma treatment increased the surface hydrophilicity, in particular at a plasma treatment time longer than 5 min at 50 W of plasma power. Total surface free energy was influenced by the basic polar components introduced by the $NH_3$ plasma, and isoelectric point (IEP) was shifted to higher pH region after the modification. A ten (10) min $NH_3$ plasma treatment at 90 W was found to be adequate for the TFC membrane modification, resulting in a membrane with better characteristics than the TFC membranes without the modification for water treatment. The thin-film chemistry (i.e., fully-aromatic and semi-aromatic nature in the interfacial polymerization) influenced the initial stage of plasma modification.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : U.S. National Science Foundation

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