Features and Applications of Low-Fouling Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membrane LFC1

The purpose of developing LFC1 membrane elements is to minimize the adsorption of organic pollutants on the membrane surface, thereby reducing the rate of water flux decline caused by organic pollutant deposition to a minimum.

The LFC1 membrane surface is electrically neutral under both acidic and alkaline conditions, meaning it remains close to neutral regardless of the feed water pH. In contrast, traditional polyamide composite membranes exhibit negative surface potentials within the typical pH range for water treatment.

Pollutants significantly impact membrane water flux, and LFC1 membranes demonstrate resistance to fouling by various charged pollutants.

While the water flux of negatively charged composite membranes remains constant in the presence of anionic surfactants, it decreases significantly when these membranes come into contact with cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants (e.g., some substances exhibit different charge characteristics depending on pH), or neutral surfactants. However, LFC1 membranes maintain high water flux regardless of the type of surfactant present.

When treating secondary urban wastewater on-site, LFC1 membranes can maintain stable water flux, while the water flux of traditional composite membranes decays rapidly. LFC1 membrane elements can also maintain stable permeate flow for extended periods even in highly polluted environments.

LFC1 membrane elements are primarily suitable for urban wastewater treatment, boiler wastewater treatment, and highly polluted surface water treatment. Many applications that previously required acetate membranes can now be replaced with LFC1 membranes. Replacing CAB (acetic acid) membranes with LFC1 membranes can reduce feedwater pressure, increase permeate flow, and improve desalination rates. Another significant advantage of using LFC1 membranes compared to acetate membranes is that they do not require limiting the feedwater pH to 4-6, thus eliminating the need for expensive acid addition costs and dedicated control systems.