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Updated: May 2, 2026

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
A review on antifouling polyamide reverse osmosis membrane for seawater desalination
Feixiang Wu1, Qi Li1, Zhien Zhang2
1State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Road (S), Nanjing, 211816, China; Suzhou Laboratory, 388 Ruoshui Road, Suzhou, 215100, China.
Abstract:
Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology is well-established in desalination. Aromatic polyamide (PA) thin-film composite (TFC) membrane dominates the commercial RO membrane market due to its high-salt rejection, water flux, and excellent chemical, thermal, and mechanical stabilization. However, membrane fouling is a common problem that has seriously hindered the wide application of RO membrane technology. This paper reviewed the PA RO membrane fouling types, and membrane fouling factors. Antifouling measures for RO membranes were summarized, including pretreatment, periodic cleaning, and modification of the support layer and PA layer. The future development of antifouling RO membranes was clarified.
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