Sulfonated Polyethersulfone Membranes for Brackish Water Desalination: Fabrication, Characterization, and Electrodialysis Performance Evaluation
Source abstract
Abstract
The widespread application of electrodialysis is constrained by the high cost of ion exchange membranes, necessitating the development of affordable alternatives. This study focuses on the fabrication and performance evaluation of cation exchange membranes made from polyethersulfone (PES) and sulfonated polyethersulfone (sPES). Membranes were synthesized through phase inversion with varying solvent evaporation times, using N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent. The structural and functional modifications were confirmed using FTIR, XPS, and AFM techniques. Performance tests identified optimal electrodialysis results for PES membranes with a 3 h solvent evaporation time and for sPES membranes with a 1 h evaporation time. Under varying operational conditions, including applied voltage, flow rates, and feed solutions, sPES membranes demonstrated superior performance, underscoring their potential for cost-effective brackish water desalination applications.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Membrane-based Ion Separation Techniques · Membrane Separation Technologies · Fuel Cells and Related Materials
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Center for Inland Desalination System (CIDS), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Engineering Research Center (ERC), Rice University, 6100 Main St., MS 6398, Houston, TX 77005, USA
Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health in El Paso, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 5130 Gateway Boulevard East, El Paso, TX 79905, USA
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center, Texas Tech University, 2500 Broadway W, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Funding
National Science Foundation · U.S. NSF · CPRIT · NIH/NIAID · AAFS Lucas grants
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