Effect of Nanoparticles on Thin-Film Composite Membrane Surface Morphology and Productivity

This paper describes research to evaluate the significance of thin-film composite membrane surface morphology on water productivity. Flat-sheet experiments were conducted with silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and cerium dioxide nanoparticles. The polyamide thin-film active layer exhibited a morphology that was directly related to the surface roughness, and was found to contribute to particle accumulation causing a higher flux decline than in other membrane surfaces. Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane flux decline was not affected by particle type when the feed water was laboratory grade water; however, when pretreated diluted seawater served as feed water it was found that cerium oxide addition resulted in the least observable flux decline, followed by silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide.