Preparation of thin-film composite membranes supported with electrospun nanofibers for desalination by forward osmosis

Abstract

Abstract. The forward osmosis (FO) process has been considered to be a viable option for water desalination in comparison to the traditional processes like reverse osmosis, regarding energy consumption and economical operation. In this work, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber support layer was prepared using the electrospinning process as a modern method. Then, an interfacial polymerization reaction between m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) was carried out to generate a polyamide selective thin-film composite (TFC) membrane on the support layer. The TFC membrane was tested in FO mode (feed solution facing the active layer) using the standard methodology and compared to a commercially available cellulose triacetate membrane (CTA). The synthesized membrane showed a high performance in terms of water flux (16 Lm −2 h−1) but traded the salt rejection (4 gm−2 h−1) compared with the commercial CTA membrane (water flux = 13 Lm−2 h−1 and salt rejection = 3 gm−2 h−1) at no applied pressure and room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, mechanical properties, porosity, and performance characterizations were conducted to examine the membrane.

The Role of Electrospun Nanomaterials in the Future of Energy and Environment

“…In another study aiming at improving support layer of TFC membranes, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber sheet was prepared by electrospinning then an interfacial polymerized polyamide selective layer was deposited on the PAN support layer. The resulting thin film composite polyamide membrane showed improved performance in a forward osmosis ALFS mode, compared to commercial polyethersulfone (PES) nanofiber membranes (water flux of 16 L/m −2 /h −1 and reverse salt flux of 4 g/m −2 /h −1 ) [209].…”

Research Progress of Water Treatment Technology Based on Nanofiber Membranes

“…The primary distinction between the FO process and the conventional pressure-driven separation processes is the source of the driving force. Therefore, the FO membrane has greater advantages compared with other membrane separation approaches in some aspects, including a low energy consumption, effective separation performance, a long service life, a wide separation range, and effective separation of high-concentration brine [ 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 ].…”

Effect of Solvent Type on PAN–Based Nonwoven Nanofibers Membranes Characterizations

“…This system consists of a pulling motion of polymer droplets in a high-voltage electrostatic field. The electrospinning apparatus consists of four primary components: a syringe containing the precursor solution, a metallic needle with an inner diameter of 0.6 mm, a voltage power supply, and a collector drum [15,16]. The electrospinning conditions were 1 mL/h of solution flow, 70 rpm of collector rotation, and 15 cm of needleto-collector distance.…”