Microporous clay membrance materials for reverse osmosis applications. I. Performance characteristics from osmotic studies

Fired clay membranes were prepared from montmorillonite clay and also by incorporating protein (lysozyme) and nylon (copolymer of 6-amino caproic acid) to clay followed by firing these membranes at different temperatures for different durations of time. Osmotic behaviors of the membranes were studied, and the results were correlated to the porosity determined by scanning electron microscope. Reverse osmosis parameters, namely, the reflection coefficient, solute permeability, and rejection coefficient, of the membranes were determined from osmosis experiments. Rejection coefficients as determined from reverse osmosis were compared with those obtained from osmosis experiments.