The objective of this research was to prepare novel polyamide-polyetheramide (PAPEA) copolymers (See Figure 1) with improved chlorine stability for desalination of seawater by interfacial polymerization. The ratios of the amine terminated polyethylene glycol polymer (Jeffamine�) to different aromatic diamines such as p-phenylene diamine were dissolved in the aqueous phase and reacting with diacid chlorides in the organic phase. Poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide), an aromatic polyamide, was synthesized in the laboratory by high-speed stirring interfacial polycondensation of p-phenylene diamine and isophthaloyl chloride in water and tetrahydrofuran solvents, respectively. FTIR results confirm the polymer synthesis. The yield of the polymer obtained is ~90% of the theoretical value. Different RO membranes were synthesized from this aromatic polyamide (PA) under different casting conditions by varying the casting solution composition and casting thickness using N,Ndimethylacetamide (DMAC) as solvent. As a result, two different membranes were obtained containing PA concentration ranged from 2% to 5% with four different membrane casting thicknesses.    

Preparation and characterization of polyamide-polyetheramide (PAPEA) copolymer membranes for reverse osmosis and nanofiltration

244th National Meeting (2012)

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