Physicochemical criteria of removal of trace organics by reverse osmosis

Abstract

Physicochemical criteria of reverse osmosis (RO) separation of organic solutes are established based upon extensive experimental studies on five different types of membrane materials, that is, aromatic polyamide, NS-100, cellulose acetate, and two of its derivatives with a large number of organic compounds. RO separation of organics is found to depend on both the characteristics of the membrane materials and on the functional group of the solutes. Within the same functional group, RO separation increased with increasing size, branch, and degree of ionization of the solutes. The establishment of these criteria is useful for the choice of appropriate membrane material and optimal operating conditions for water and waste water treatment.