Physico-chemical integrity of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membranes during characterization by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Baoxia Mi; David G. Cahill; Benito J. Mariñas

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2006.12.052

Physico-chemical integrity of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membranes during characterization by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Baoxia Mi, David G. Cahill, Benito J. Mariñas

Civil and Environmental Engineering

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

Abstract

The suitability of using RBS for the characterization of polymeric composite RO/NF membranes was investigated with the specific goal of determining helium ion fluence thresholds resulting in measurable changes in membrane elemental composition and the thickness/roughness of membrane active layers. Two commercial membranes with polyamide (PA) and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) active layers on PSf support, and the PSf support without active layer were investigated. Changes in physico-chemical properties of the polymers were assessed by model fitting of the RBS spectra, and analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Oxygen was found to be the most unstable element in all three materials investigated (PSf, PA, SPES) thus setting the helium ion fluence thresholds at 3 × 10¹⁴ He⁺/cm² for PSf, 5 × 10¹⁴ He⁺/cm² for PA, and 9 × 10¹⁴ He⁺/cm² for SPES for accurate determination of elemental composition of both the active and support layers. If RBS is used to determine only the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer, then the helium ion beam fluence could be set below higher thresholds of 2 × 10¹⁵ and 4 × 10¹⁵ He⁺/cm² for membranes with PA and SPES active layers, respectively.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	77-85
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Membrane Science
Volume	291
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2006.12.052
State	Published - Mar 15 2007

Keywords

Membrane active layer thickness
Membrane elemental composition
Membrane roughness
Nanofiltration
Reverse osmosis
Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Filtration and Separation
Polymers and Plastics

Online availability

10.1016/j.memsci.2006.12.052

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title = "Physico-chemical integrity of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membranes during characterization by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry",

abstract = "The suitability of using RBS for the characterization of polymeric composite RO/NF membranes was investigated with the specific goal of determining helium ion fluence thresholds resulting in measurable changes in membrane elemental composition and the thickness/roughness of membrane active layers. Two commercial membranes with polyamide (PA) and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) active layers on PSf support, and the PSf support without active layer were investigated. Changes in physico-chemical properties of the polymers were assessed by model fitting of the RBS spectra, and analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Oxygen was found to be the most unstable element in all three materials investigated (PSf, PA, SPES) thus setting the helium ion fluence thresholds at 3 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PSf, 5 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PA, and 9 × 1014 He+/cm2 for SPES for accurate determination of elemental composition of both the active and support layers. If RBS is used to determine only the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer, then the helium ion beam fluence could be set below higher thresholds of 2 × 1015 and 4 × 1015 He+/cm2 for membranes with PA and SPES active layers, respectively.",

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

author = "Baoxia Mi and Cahill, {David G.} and Mari{\~n}as, {Benito J.}",

note = "Funding Information: The RBS analysis was carried out in the Center for Microanalysis of Materials (CMM), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), 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. The authors thank Timm Strathmann and Shuang Feng from the UIUC for facilitating FTIR analysis. The authors also thankfully acknowledge Jim Lozier from CH2M Hill and Tasuma Suzuki from UIUC for facilitating information about membrane materials, and the companies Hydranautics, Oceanside, CA 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.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.memsci.2006.12.052",

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T1 - Physico-chemical integrity of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membranes during characterization by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

AU - Mi, Baoxia

AU - Cahill, David G.

AU - Mariñas, Benito J.

N1 - Funding Information: The RBS analysis was carried out in the Center for Microanalysis of Materials (CMM), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), 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. The authors thank Timm Strathmann and Shuang Feng from the UIUC for facilitating FTIR analysis. The authors also thankfully acknowledge Jim Lozier from CH2M Hill and Tasuma Suzuki from UIUC for facilitating information about membrane materials, and the companies Hydranautics, Oceanside, CA 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 - 2007/3/15

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N2 - The suitability of using RBS for the characterization of polymeric composite RO/NF membranes was investigated with the specific goal of determining helium ion fluence thresholds resulting in measurable changes in membrane elemental composition and the thickness/roughness of membrane active layers. Two commercial membranes with polyamide (PA) and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) active layers on PSf support, and the PSf support without active layer were investigated. Changes in physico-chemical properties of the polymers were assessed by model fitting of the RBS spectra, and analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Oxygen was found to be the most unstable element in all three materials investigated (PSf, PA, SPES) thus setting the helium ion fluence thresholds at 3 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PSf, 5 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PA, and 9 × 1014 He+/cm2 for SPES for accurate determination of elemental composition of both the active and support layers. If RBS is used to determine only the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer, then the helium ion beam fluence could be set below higher thresholds of 2 × 1015 and 4 × 1015 He+/cm2 for membranes with PA and SPES active layers, respectively.

AB - The suitability of using RBS for the characterization of polymeric composite RO/NF membranes was investigated with the specific goal of determining helium ion fluence thresholds resulting in measurable changes in membrane elemental composition and the thickness/roughness of membrane active layers. Two commercial membranes with polyamide (PA) and sulfonated-polyethersulfone (SPES) active layers on PSf support, and the PSf support without active layer were investigated. Changes in physico-chemical properties of the polymers were assessed by model fitting of the RBS spectra, and analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Oxygen was found to be the most unstable element in all three materials investigated (PSf, PA, SPES) thus setting the helium ion fluence thresholds at 3 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PSf, 5 × 1014 He+/cm2 for PA, and 9 × 1014 He+/cm2 for SPES for accurate determination of elemental composition of both the active and support layers. If RBS is used to determine only the thickness and roughness of the membrane active layer, then the helium ion beam fluence could be set below higher thresholds of 2 × 1015 and 4 × 1015 He+/cm2 for membranes with PA and SPES active layers, respectively.

KW - Membrane active layer thickness

KW - Membrane elemental composition

KW - Membrane roughness

KW - Nanofiltration

KW - Reverse osmosis

KW - Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS)

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SN - 0376-7388

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EP - 85

JO - Journal of Membrane Science

JF - Journal of Membrane Science

IS - 1-2

ER -

Physico-chemical integrity of nanofiltration/reverse osmosis membranes during characterization by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Abstract

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