Reduced fouling of ultrafiltration membranes via surface fluorination

摘要

Surface fluorination can affect significantly the performance of an ultrafiltration membrane used to concentrate a food-related stream. Membranes fluorinated and tested as flat sheets exhibit higher initial fluxes, and do not foul as rapidly as untreated membranes. This improvement is linked to increased surface hydrophilicity, as shown in decreased contact angle with water. This increased hydrophilicity, in turn, is linked to the addition of fluorine and oxygen to the surface. The pilot plant study did-not show the difference in membrane flux and fouling observed in the flat sheet study. Instead, fluorinated and unfluorinated modules behaved similarly. Fouling by potato waste feed was severe and resulted in formation of an extensive gel layer within the module on the membrane surface. XPS, SEM and FTIR indicate that buildup of organic material occurred on both fluorinated and unfluorinated membranes, but SEM indicates that a fibrous mat of material was observed only on the nonfluorinated membrane. We conclude that in the pilot study, membrane fouling and gel formation were so extensive that the surface interaction effect was overwhelmed.