Preparation and characterization of hollow fiber forward osmosis membrane by interfacial polymerization

Hollow fiber thin film composite forward osmosis membrane was prepared on the top of a tailor-made polysulfone hollow fiber support by interfacial polymerization. The relationship between casting parameters, membrane structure, and FO performance was studied. The results showed that the thickness of substrate membrane was one of the main factors affecting FO performance. The thicker membrane could cause more serious internal concentration polarization, leading to lower effective osmotic pressure across the membrane as well as water flux in the FO process. A thin film composite membrane with a thickness of 0.129 mm and force at breakage of 2.48 N was obtained. The FO membrane showed a water flux of 10.3 L·m-2·h-1 and a specific salt diffusion of 0.15 g·L-1.