Effect of preparation parameters on the performance of cellulose acetate/cellulose triacetate membrane in forward osmosis process

In this study a blend of cellulose acetate/cellulose triacetate was used to prepare a membrane by immersion precipitation technique appropriate for forward osmosis application. Solutions of cellulose acetate/cellulose triacetate, 1,4-dioxane, acetone, methanol and lactic acid were cast on a glass plate and then immersed into the water for solidification; to control the active layer thickness of membranes, cast solutions were exposed to the air for various times before immersing into the water. Preparation conditions – casing thickness, evaporation time and post-heat treatment temperature were varied to investigate their effect on performance of membranes. After testing flux and reverse salt flux of the prepared membranes, an optimal value for each of those parameters was obtained

Keywords:

Filtration , forward osmosis , membrane , cellulose triacetate , desalination