G. Chowdhury et al., A STUDY OF REVERSE-OSMOSIS SEPARATION AND PERMEATION RATE FOR SULFONATED POLY(2,6-DIMETHYL-1,4-PHENYLENE OXIDE) MEMBRANES IN DIFFERENT CATIONIC FORMS, Journal of applied polymer science, 51(6), 1994, pp. 1071-1075
Thin film composite membranes were prepared by coating a thin layer of
sulfonated poly (1,4-dimethyl-2,6-phenylene oxide) polymer on the sur
face of a polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane performan
ce was studied when the sulfonate was either in the hydrogen form or l
oaded fully with an alkali metal cation. It was found that the permeat
ion rate was greater than the pure water permeation rate, when the sul
fonate was in the hydrogen form and the feed solution contained an alk
ali metal chloride solute. The permeation rate increased with an incre
ase in the ionic radius of the alkali metal cation. With respect to me
mbranes in which the sulfonate was loaded with an alkali metal cation,
the pure water permeation rate was found to increase with a decrease
in the ionic radius of the alkali metal cation. The permeation rate wa
s the same as the pure water permeation rate when the membranes of the
latter form were tested for reverse osmosis of aqueous solutions invo
lving either sodium chloride or an organic solute. (C) 1994 John Wiley
& Sons, Inc.