Determination of separation characteristics of Bw30 polyamide membrane modified by photochemical grafting polymerization

Abstract

Thin film composite (TFC) polyamide BW30 membrane has been modified by surface photochemical grafting polymerization to enhance membrane separation property for water purification. The separation performance of modified membrane has been determined through the possibility for removal of reactive red (RR 261) dye in water in terms of the retention and its flux as well as the flux decline during filtration of dye solution. The experimental results have indicated that the separation properties of modified BW30 membrane grafted with acrylic acid (AA), maleic anhydrite (MAH) and poly(ethylene)glycol (PEG) could be improved with the enhancement of membrane flux, while the retention is almost maintained as compared to that of unmodified one. The modified membrane also has a better antifouling property with the higher performance maintained during filtration and the lower irreversible fouling factor as compared to that of the original membrane. In addition, the modified membrane could have a good chemical resistant property with the stable separation performance in both acidic and base filtration mediums.