Abstract
New polyethersulfone (PES) based membranes for ultrafiltration (UF) were developed by blending a surface-modifying macromolecule (SMM) in the casting solution, in an attempt to minimize the impact of fouling. Fouling was evaluated using concentrated Ottawa River water (CORW), either unfractionated or fractionated via UF. These membranes also included some polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a pore forming additive. A statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of some variables on the treatment of the surface water. The independent variables included PVP/PES ratio in the casting solution, with and without SMM, and the nature of the feed CORW [low molecular weight (LMW) fraction, unfractionated, high molecular weight (HMW) fraction]. The performance variables studied were total organic carbon (TOC) removal, the foulant accumulation at the membrane surface after filtration, the flux reduction, and the final permeate flux. The most important variable was the feed water. Filtration of LMW had a higher f...
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