Reinforced thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes: Fabrication, characterization, and performance testing

Hollow-fiber (HF) membranes have the advantage of a higher packing density compared to flat-sheet and spiral-wound configurations. However, the low pressure tolerance of HF membranes limits their applications in nanofiltration (NF). In this study, reinforced thin-film composite (r-TFC) HF NF membranes were fabricated and evaluated in tests with water containing different salts and organic matter. Reinforced polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes were used as a support for a polyamide layer prepared from piperazine and trimesoyl chloride monomers. The interfacial polymerization conditions were optimized via selection of the trimesoyl chloride reaction time that gave the highest membrane performance. A specific permeate flux of 5.1 L m^–2 h^–1 bar^–1, an MgSO₄ rejection of 69%, and an NaCl rejection of 26% at a transmembrane pressure of 6 bars were obtained with the optimized r-TFC membranes. Performance studies with water characterized by synthetic solution demonstrated removals of the total organic carbon, ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm, and turbidity in excess of 65, 80, and 90%, respectively. The results of this study illustrate the feasibility of manufacturing r-TFC HFs and using them in water-treatment applications.