Antifouling membrane based on sodium alginate coated polyamide thin film composite for desalination of brackish water |
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| Authors: | Ravichand Kancherla Ramesh Kumar Vadeghar Prabhaker Reddy Ginuga Sundergopal Sridhar |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University College of Technology (UCT), Osmania University, Hyderabad, India;2. Membrane Separations Group, Chemical Engineering Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, India |
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| Abstract: | Sodium alginate coated polyamide thin film composite (SA/PA-TFC) membranes were synthesized for the desalination of brackish water through reverse osmosis. Membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, AFM, thermogravimetry, and universal testing machine for structural analysis, crystallinity, morphological, compositional, thermal, and mechanical properties, respectively. The effect of feed pressure on water flux and % salt rejection was quantified. Simulation results generated using the commercial process simulator PRO/II were in good agreement with the experimental data. Case studies using simulator were performed for brackish water with different salinity to optimize operating pressure based on product unit cost (PUC) by varying the feed pressure and membrane area. The calculated PUCs were found to be 0.9 and 0.3 $/m3 for corresponding feed total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations of 5000 and 500 mg/L at an optimum pressure of 10 bar, to achieve a salt rejection of 98% using a membrane area of 335 m2. We believe these membranes are a prospective solution for brackish water desalination. |
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| Keywords: | brackish water desalination polyamide membrane process simulation sodium alginate |
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