Implication of zeta potential at different salinities on boron removal by RO membranes

Boron removal by BWRO membranes decreased with increasing salinity at pH 9. The shift of zeta potential towards positive values at higher salinity suggested that charge repulsion mechanism became less dominant. Boron removal by ESPAB and SWC4+ decreased initially when NaCl concentration was increased towards 2000 mg/L at pH 9. However, removal increased slowly when NaCl was beyond 2000 mg/L. This observation suggested that boron removal by these membranes at low salinity was partially contributed by charge repulsion mechanism. At higher salinity, size exclusion could be the dominant factor for boron removal by SWC4 and ESPAB.