Influence of chitosan coating on the separation performance, morphology and anti-fouling properties of the polyamide nanofiltration membranes

Chitosan was coated into polyamide membranes by in situ reaction of amine and hydroxyl groups of chitosan and un-reacted of acylchloride of polyamide active layer. Effect of chitosan concentration and coagulation time on the membrane chemical structure, morphology, separation performances and antifouling properties were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, AFM, cross-flow membrane module device and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide experiment. Water flux of the polyamide membranes enhanced from 32.9 to 59.6 L/m(2) h and anti-fouling results proved that excellent fouling resistance. Thus, chitosan as a secondary modifier has special potential to improve the performance of polyamide membranes. (C) 2015 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.