Techniques for characterization of polyamide thin film composite membranes

Thin film composite reverse osmosis (TFC RO) membranes (1 m breadth × 90 m length) were prepared by coating polyamide active layer over a porous polysulfone membrane using indigenous membrane casting and coating devices. The TFC membranes exhibited 56 ± 9 l/m2 h water flux and 96.7 ± 0.6% salt rejection when tested with 2000 ppm NaCl feed at 250 psi pressure. The membrane structural information obtained using SEM, AFM, SANS, PALS, QENS, permeation experiments with organic markers, ATR-IR, and zeta-potential measurements was correlated with the variance in membrane flux and selectivity.

Research highlights
► Characterization of the reverse osmosis membranes for large-scale development.
► Thin film composite reverse osmosis (TFC RO) membranes (1 m breadth × 90 m length).
► Correlation between structural information and membrane performance.