Study on membrane fouling by using surface modifying macromolecules for membrane surface modification

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The objective of this project is to study membrane fouling systematically. In particular, the effects of the membrane surface properties that have been identified to govern the membrane fouling, such as surface hydrophobicity/philicity, surface charge density and surface roughness, will be studied. For this purpose, membranes will be prepared in the laboratory by dry-wet phase inversion technique. In order to change the surface properties of the membranes, surface modifying macromolecules (SMMs) will be synthesized and blended to the host polymer. SMMs will migrate to the membrane surface while membranes are cast, altering the surface properties of the membranes considerably. Depending on the nature of the SMMs, the membrane surface becomes more hydrophobic/hydrophilic or electrically charged. Surface roughness of the membrane will be changed by adding surfactants or electrolytes in the coagulation bath. Various  techniques will be employed to characterize the membrane surface. Fouling will be studied by measuring the flux reduction of the membranes in separation of small organic molecules by RO or proteins by UF. The correlations will then be found between the membrane surface properties and fouling and the factors that have strong effects on membrane fouling will be identified. This information will be useful for the design of membranes with reduced fouling by blending SMMs in host polymers.