DEVELOPMENT OF NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANES BASED ON RIGID STAR AMPHIPHILES: MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERIZATION

摘要

Nanofiltration (NF) is emerging as a promising technology for drinking water treatment. A study in the past has demonstrated that contaminants could permeate through the NF membrane by either advection or the partition/diffusion process1. Advection is a dominant process for relatively large contaminants such as virions because their diffusion through the membrane polymer is practically inhibited by steric hindrance. Consequently, limiting the advection process by synthesizing a NF membrane active layer without imperfections would enhance their intrinsic rejection of relatively large contaminants. On the other hand, partition/diffusion tends to be the dominant transport mechanism for small and neutral contaminants such as arsenious acid (H3AsO3). New NF membrane active layers with greater selectivity for the partition/diffusion of water compared to that of small neutral molecules are needed to provide a more absolute barrier against all potential water contaminants of interest.