The Dow Chemical Company

Filmtec Corporation

Thomas F Stocker

Ritchie A Wessling

Donald L Schmidt

Richard F Fibiger

Robert J Petersen

David J Forgach

Ja-Young Koo

John E Cadotte

Daniel A Batzel

To prevent the deterioration of the flux and salt rejection characteristics of polyamide, thin-film, composite reverse osmosis membranes when subjected to relatively high temperature drying conditions, an unsubstituted inorganic ammonium cation salt of an acid is incorporated into the process of manufacture. The ammonium salt can be introduced into the process either before or after the membrane is formed by interfacial polymerization so long as it is added before the membrane is heated.

Use of inorganic ammonium cation salts to maintain the flux and salt

An improved composite polyamide membrane and methods of making the membrane are described. This improved membrane is prepared using a cationic polymeric wetting agent in an aqueous solution containing a polyfunctional amine reactant which is interfacially polymerized with an acyl halide to form a thin film polyamide discriminating layer on a microporous support. Alternatively, the wetting agent can be applied directly to the substrate and the interfacial polymerization can occur on said treated substrate. The resulting membrane exhibits an unexpected combination of high water flux, high rejection of divalent anion salts, variable sodium chloride rejection and good caustic resistance at low operating pressures. In one embodiment of this invention, a porous substrate is first treated with an aqueous piperazine solution containing a copolymer of vinylbenzyl dimethyl sulfonium chloride and methacrylic acid and then the coated microporous support is contacted with trimesoyl chloride in an organic solvent.

Novel polyamide reverse osmosis membranes

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Thomas F Stocker