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Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes

Lydia Powell Orcid Logo, L.C. Powell, Christopher Wright Orcid Logo, Nidal Hilal

Desalination, Volume: 404, Pages: 313 - 321

Swansea University Authors: Lydia Powell Orcid Logo, Christopher Wright Orcid Logo, Nidal Hilal

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.desal.2016.11.010

Abstract

The mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes (composite polyamide) used for the purification and desalination of seawater in desalination processes were characterised using novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. Polymeric surface elasticity has previous...

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Published in: Desalination
ISSN: 0011-9164
Published: 2017
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa30863
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Polymeric surface elasticity has previously been demonstrated to strongly affect the adhesion of bacteria; hence the study examined membrane surface elasticity to demonstrate how AFM can be used to assess the bio-fouling potential of membranes. An AFM colloid probe technique was used to determine the mechanical properties of the membrane, the adhesion forces and the work of adhesion at the membrane surfaces. The mean values of Young's modulus for the virgin membrane decreased in magnitude with increasing pH values, where these values were significantly different (p &lt; 0.017) between both pH 3 (1450 kPa), pH 7 (1327 kPa) and pH 9 (788 kPa). These differences were attributed to differences in membrane swelling and indicate possible control parameters that could be exploited to improve membrane cleaning regimes. A membrane with a higher modulus will be stronger and potentially more resistant to chemical and physical processes during operation and cleaning. Significant differences (p &lt; 0.017) in force measurements were also found between different electrolytic conditions for each of the membranes, where for the virgin membrane the adhesion force values were 6.00 nN at pH 3, 1.77 nN at pH 7 and 0.98 N at pH 9, and also the work of adhesion were 153.6 nJ at pH 3, 22.8nJ at pH 7 and 9.9 nJ at pH 9 in 0.6 M NaCl. These observations further confirm the importance of the electrolytic environment on the nanoscale interactions of the membrane which should be considered to control fouling during operation and cleaning cycles. AFM images and streaming potential measurements of virgin and fouled membranes were also obtained to aid analysis of the industrial membrane system. The novel application of AFM to membranes to measure Young's moduli and work of adhesion is a new addition to the AFM tools that can be used to unravel separation processes at the membrane surface. In addition, this study further demonstrates that AFM force spectroscopy can be used as part of a sophisticated membrane autopsy procedure for the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in membrane fouling.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Desalination</journal><volume>404</volume><paginationStart>313</paginationStart><paginationEnd>321</paginationEnd><publisher/><issnPrint>0011-9164</issnPrint><keywords/><publishedDay>16</publishedDay><publishedMonth>2</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2017</publishedYear><publishedDate>2017-02-16</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.desal.2016.11.010</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Biomedical Sciences</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>BMS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm/><lastEdited>2020-07-16T16:49:37.1003351</lastEdited><Created>2016-10-29T06:53:39.7141971</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Biomedical Engineering</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Lydia</firstname><surname>Powell</surname><orcid>0000-0002-8641-0160</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>L.C.</firstname><surname>Powell</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Christopher</firstname><surname>Wright</surname><orcid>0000-0003-2375-8159</orcid><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Nidal</firstname><surname>Hilal</surname><order>4</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>0030863-29102016065630.pdf</filename><originalFilename>Powelletal.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2016-10-29T06:56:30.2770000</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>837634</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Accepted Manuscript</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><embargoDate>2017-11-23T00:00:00.0000000</embargoDate><copyrightCorrect>false</copyrightCorrect></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2020-07-16T16:49:37.1003351 v2 30863 2016-10-29 Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes 0e7e702952672bcbfdfd4974199202fb 0000-0002-8641-0160 Lydia Powell Lydia Powell true false 235e125ac3463e2ee7fc98604bf879ce 0000-0003-2375-8159 Christopher Wright Christopher Wright true false 3acba771241d878c8e35ff464aec0342 Nidal Hilal Nidal Hilal true false 2016-10-29 BMS The mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes (composite polyamide) used for the purification and desalination of seawater in desalination processes were characterised using novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. Polymeric surface elasticity has previously been demonstrated to strongly affect the adhesion of bacteria; hence the study examined membrane surface elasticity to demonstrate how AFM can be used to assess the bio-fouling potential of membranes. An AFM colloid probe technique was used to determine the mechanical properties of the membrane, the adhesion forces and the work of adhesion at the membrane surfaces. The mean values of Young's modulus for the virgin membrane decreased in magnitude with increasing pH values, where these values were significantly different (p < 0.017) between both pH 3 (1450 kPa), pH 7 (1327 kPa) and pH 9 (788 kPa). These differences were attributed to differences in membrane swelling and indicate possible control parameters that could be exploited to improve membrane cleaning regimes. A membrane with a higher modulus will be stronger and potentially more resistant to chemical and physical processes during operation and cleaning. Significant differences (p < 0.017) in force measurements were also found between different electrolytic conditions for each of the membranes, where for the virgin membrane the adhesion force values were 6.00 nN at pH 3, 1.77 nN at pH 7 and 0.98 N at pH 9, and also the work of adhesion were 153.6 nJ at pH 3, 22.8nJ at pH 7 and 9.9 nJ at pH 9 in 0.6 M NaCl. These observations further confirm the importance of the electrolytic environment on the nanoscale interactions of the membrane which should be considered to control fouling during operation and cleaning cycles. AFM images and streaming potential measurements of virgin and fouled membranes were also obtained to aid analysis of the industrial membrane system. The novel application of AFM to membranes to measure Young's moduli and work of adhesion is a new addition to the AFM tools that can be used to unravel separation processes at the membrane surface. In addition, this study further demonstrates that AFM force spectroscopy can be used as part of a sophisticated membrane autopsy procedure for the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in membrane fouling. Journal Article Desalination 404 313 321 0011-9164 16 2 2017 2017-02-16 10.1016/j.desal.2016.11.010 COLLEGE NANME Biomedical Sciences COLLEGE CODE BMS Swansea University 2020-07-16T16:49:37.1003351 2016-10-29T06:53:39.7141971 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Biomedical Engineering Lydia Powell 0000-0002-8641-0160 1 L.C. Powell 2 Christopher Wright 0000-0003-2375-8159 3 Nidal Hilal 4 0030863-29102016065630.pdf Powelletal.pdf 2016-10-29T06:56:30.2770000 Output 837634 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2017-11-23T00:00:00.0000000 false
title Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
spellingShingle Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
Lydia Powell
Christopher Wright
Nidal Hilal
title_short Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
title_full Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
title_fullStr Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
title_full_unstemmed Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
title_sort Atomic force microscopy study of the biofouling and mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes
author_id_str_mv 0e7e702952672bcbfdfd4974199202fb
235e125ac3463e2ee7fc98604bf879ce
3acba771241d878c8e35ff464aec0342
author_id_fullname_str_mv 0e7e702952672bcbfdfd4974199202fb_***_Lydia Powell
235e125ac3463e2ee7fc98604bf879ce_***_Christopher Wright
3acba771241d878c8e35ff464aec0342_***_Nidal Hilal
author Lydia Powell
Christopher Wright
Nidal Hilal
author2 Lydia Powell
L.C. Powell
Christopher Wright
Nidal Hilal
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container_title Desalination
container_volume 404
container_start_page 313
publishDate 2017
institution Swansea University
issn 0011-9164
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.desal.2016.11.010
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Biomedical Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Biomedical Engineering
document_store_str 1
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description The mechanical properties of virgin and industrially fouled reverse osmosis membranes (composite polyamide) used for the purification and desalination of seawater in desalination processes were characterised using novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. Polymeric surface elasticity has previously been demonstrated to strongly affect the adhesion of bacteria; hence the study examined membrane surface elasticity to demonstrate how AFM can be used to assess the bio-fouling potential of membranes. An AFM colloid probe technique was used to determine the mechanical properties of the membrane, the adhesion forces and the work of adhesion at the membrane surfaces. The mean values of Young's modulus for the virgin membrane decreased in magnitude with increasing pH values, where these values were significantly different (p < 0.017) between both pH 3 (1450 kPa), pH 7 (1327 kPa) and pH 9 (788 kPa). These differences were attributed to differences in membrane swelling and indicate possible control parameters that could be exploited to improve membrane cleaning regimes. A membrane with a higher modulus will be stronger and potentially more resistant to chemical and physical processes during operation and cleaning. Significant differences (p < 0.017) in force measurements were also found between different electrolytic conditions for each of the membranes, where for the virgin membrane the adhesion force values were 6.00 nN at pH 3, 1.77 nN at pH 7 and 0.98 N at pH 9, and also the work of adhesion were 153.6 nJ at pH 3, 22.8nJ at pH 7 and 9.9 nJ at pH 9 in 0.6 M NaCl. These observations further confirm the importance of the electrolytic environment on the nanoscale interactions of the membrane which should be considered to control fouling during operation and cleaning cycles. AFM images and streaming potential measurements of virgin and fouled membranes were also obtained to aid analysis of the industrial membrane system. The novel application of AFM to membranes to measure Young's moduli and work of adhesion is a new addition to the AFM tools that can be used to unravel separation processes at the membrane surface. In addition, this study further demonstrates that AFM force spectroscopy can be used as part of a sophisticated membrane autopsy procedure for the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in membrane fouling.
published_date 2017-02-16T03:37:38Z
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