Evaluation of carbon nanotube-polyamide thin-film nanocomposite reverse osmosis membrane: Surface properties, performance characteristics and fouling behavior

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-polyamide (PA) thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been highlighted due to their high water permeability. We evaluated the surface properties, membrane performance and fouling behavior of CNT-PATFN RO membranes. The CNT-PATFN RO membranes showed similar to 30% enhanced water flux, which resulted in a lower energy consumption. The smoother surface of the CNT-PA TFN RO membranes led to less membrane fouling, while its biofouling resistance was insignificant due to less positioned CNTs on the membrane surface. These results provide important insights into the factors optimizing CNT-PA TFN RO membranes as a high performance RO membrane. (C) 2017 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.