Poly(vinyl alcohol) gel sublayers for reverse osmosis membranes. I. Insolubilization by acid-catalyzed dehydration

Journal Article · Wed Nov 10 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Applied Polymer Science; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/app.1993.070500611· OSTI ID:5850770

Immelman, E; Sanderson, R D; Jacobs, E P; Van Reenan, A J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Stellenbosch, (South Africa). Inst. of Polymer Science

Both flat-sheet and tubular composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were prepared by depositing aqueous solutions of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and a dehydration catalyst on asymmetric poly(arylether sulfone) (PES) substrate membranes. The PVA coatings were insolubilized by heat treatment to create stable hydrophilic gel-layer membranes. The influence of variables such as PVA concentration, catalyst concentration, curing time, and curing temperature was investigated. It was shown that a simple manipulation of one or two variables could lead to membranes with widely differing salt retention and water permeability characteristics. The insolubilized PVA coatings were intended to serve as hydrophilic gel sublayers on which ultra thin salt-retention barriers could ultimately be formed by interfacial polycondensation. For this purpose, high-flux gel layers were required, whereas salt-retention capabilities were not regarded as important. However, the promising salt retentions obtained as 2 MPa (up to 85% NaCl retention and 92% MgSO[sub 4] retention) showed that some of these PES-PVA composite membranes could function as medium-retention, medium-flux RO membranes, even in the absence of an interfacially formed salt-retention barrier.

• OSTI ID: 5850770
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Polymer Science; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Polymer Science; (United States) Vol. 50:6; ISSN 0021-8995; ISSN JAPNAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ALCOHOLS
CATALYSTS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DEHYDRATION
DIFFUSION
FABRICATION
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OSMOSIS
PERMEABILITY
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PVA
SOLUBILITY