Physico-chemical characterization of NF/RO membrane active layers by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Baoxia Mi; Orlando Coronell; Benito J. Mariñas; Fumiya Watanabe; David G. Cahill; Ivan Petrov

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015

Physico-chemical characterization of NF/RO membrane active layers by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Baoxia Mi, Orlando Coronell, Benito J. Mariñas, Fumiya Watanabe, David G. Cahill, Ivan Petrov

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The physico-chemical properties of the active layer of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis (NF/RO) membranes were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NF/RO membranes with active layer materials including polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol derivative (PVA), PA-PVA, and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) were investigated. SEM and TEM images of membrane cross-sections confirmed the presence of a denser active layer supported by an asymmetric porous polysulfone structure but could only provide a rough estimate of membrane active layer average thickness. RBS provided an accurate tool to determine the elemental composition of NF/RO membrane active and support layers, and the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer. The oxygen-to-nitrogen molecular ratio obtained for PA membranes was in the range of 1.1-3.0, which is consistent with the reported presence of unreacted carboxyl groups in the active layer surface of this type of membranes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	71-81
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Membrane Science
Volume	282
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015
State	Published - Oct 5 2006

Keywords

Membrane active layer thickness
Membrane elemental composition
Nanofiltration
RBS
Reverse osmosis
Roughness
Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Filtration and Separation
Polymers and Plastics

Online availability

10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015

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@article{4a2c28f1a341454c9da36c15e0d2a1e4,

title = "Physico-chemical characterization of NF/RO membrane active layers by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry",

abstract = "The physico-chemical properties of the active layer of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis (NF/RO) membranes were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NF/RO membranes with active layer materials including polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol derivative (PVA), PA-PVA, and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) were investigated. SEM and TEM images of membrane cross-sections confirmed the presence of a denser active layer supported by an asymmetric porous polysulfone structure but could only provide a rough estimate of membrane active layer average thickness. RBS provided an accurate tool to determine the elemental composition of NF/RO membrane active and support layers, and the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer. The oxygen-to-nitrogen molecular ratio obtained for PA membranes was in the range of 1.1-3.0, which is consistent with the reported presence of unreacted carboxyl groups in the active layer surface of this type of membranes.",

keywords = "Membrane active layer thickness, Membrane elemental composition, Nanofiltration, RBS, Reverse osmosis, Roughness, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry",

author = "Baoxia Mi and Orlando Coronell and Mari{\~n}as, {Benito J.} and Fumiya Watanabe and Cahill, {David G.} and Ivan Petrov",

note = "Funding Information: The RBS and TEM analysis was carried out in the Center for Microanalysis of Materials (CMM), University of Illinois, which is partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DEFG02-91-ER45439. The authors acknowledge CMM staff Michael J. Williams and Doug Jeffers for assistance in RBS analyses and Jianguo Wen for helping in TEM analyses. The authors also thankfully acknowledge Jim Lozier from CH2M Hill and Tasuma Suzuki from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for facilitating information about membrane materials, and the companies Hydranautics, Oceanside, CA, Koch Membrane Systems, Wilmington, MA, and Nitto Denko, Shimohozumi, Japan for providing membrane materials and related information. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Environmental Engineering and Technology program under NSF agreement number BES-0332217, and the WaterCAMPWS, a Science and Technology Center of Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems under NSF agreement number CTS-0120978. The opinions in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor. ",

year = "2006",

month = oct,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "282",

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journal = "Journal of Membrane Science",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Physico-chemical characterization of NF/RO membrane active layers by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

AU - Mi, Baoxia

AU - Coronell, Orlando

AU - Mariñas, Benito J.

AU - Watanabe, Fumiya

AU - Cahill, David G.

AU - Petrov, Ivan

N1 - Funding Information: The RBS and TEM analysis was carried out in the Center for Microanalysis of Materials (CMM), University of Illinois, which is partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DEFG02-91-ER45439. The authors acknowledge CMM staff Michael J. Williams and Doug Jeffers for assistance in RBS analyses and Jianguo Wen for helping in TEM analyses. The authors also thankfully acknowledge Jim Lozier from CH2M Hill and Tasuma Suzuki from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for facilitating information about membrane materials, and the companies Hydranautics, Oceanside, CA, Koch Membrane Systems, Wilmington, MA, and Nitto Denko, Shimohozumi, Japan for providing membrane materials and related information. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Environmental Engineering and Technology program under NSF agreement number BES-0332217, and the WaterCAMPWS, a Science and Technology Center of Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems under NSF agreement number CTS-0120978. The opinions in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor.

PY - 2006/10/5

Y1 - 2006/10/5

N2 - The physico-chemical properties of the active layer of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis (NF/RO) membranes were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NF/RO membranes with active layer materials including polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol derivative (PVA), PA-PVA, and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) were investigated. SEM and TEM images of membrane cross-sections confirmed the presence of a denser active layer supported by an asymmetric porous polysulfone structure but could only provide a rough estimate of membrane active layer average thickness. RBS provided an accurate tool to determine the elemental composition of NF/RO membrane active and support layers, and the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer. The oxygen-to-nitrogen molecular ratio obtained for PA membranes was in the range of 1.1-3.0, which is consistent with the reported presence of unreacted carboxyl groups in the active layer surface of this type of membranes.

AB - The physico-chemical properties of the active layer of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis (NF/RO) membranes were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NF/RO membranes with active layer materials including polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol derivative (PVA), PA-PVA, and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) were investigated. SEM and TEM images of membrane cross-sections confirmed the presence of a denser active layer supported by an asymmetric porous polysulfone structure but could only provide a rough estimate of membrane active layer average thickness. RBS provided an accurate tool to determine the elemental composition of NF/RO membrane active and support layers, and the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer. The oxygen-to-nitrogen molecular ratio obtained for PA membranes was in the range of 1.1-3.0, which is consistent with the reported presence of unreacted carboxyl groups in the active layer surface of this type of membranes.

KW - Membrane active layer thickness

KW - Membrane elemental composition

KW - Nanofiltration

KW - RBS

KW - Reverse osmosis

KW - Roughness

KW - Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

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U2 - 10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015

DO - 10.1016/j.memsci.2006.05.015

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:33747761298

SN - 0376-7388

VL - 282

SP - 71

EP - 81

JO - Journal of Membrane Science

JF - Journal of Membrane Science

IS - 1-2

ER -

Physico-chemical characterization of NF/RO membrane active layers by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Abstract

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