Thin film composite forward osmosis membranes with performance enhancing layers
AssigneesInternational Business Machines Corporation, San Jose State University Research Foundation
InventorsGeraud J. Dubois, Robert D. Miller, Young-Hye Na, Victoria Piunova, Joseph Sly, Daniel Stillman
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Abstract
A thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane includes a porous support with surfaces having thereon a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer. An active layer on the support is sufficiently dense to remove an ionic species from a liquid.
Claims17
A process of modifying a thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis FO membrane comprising a porous support with a plurality of pores extending from one face to an opposite face thereof, and an active layer on the support, the method comprising:
- exposing the porous support to an aqueous solution of hydrophilic-functionalized star polymers comprising a central core and at least 6 polymeric arms covalently attached to the central core;
- and
- forming on surfaces of at least some of the pores of the porous support a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer of the star polymers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.