Polyethylenimine Concentration Research Articles

Positively charged nanofiltration membranes with gradient structures for enhancing separation properties

Creating a gradient structure in a separation layer is an effective approach for enhancing separation performance of thin film composite membranes. Here we present the preparation of a positively charged nanofiltration membrane with a gradient structure. An inner layer consisting of a loose polyester separation layer with large pores was formed through the interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction between triethanolamine (TEA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). And a dense and thin top layer composed of a polyamide separation layer was obtained by secondary interfacial polymerization (SIP) reaction using polyethyleneimine (PEI) along with unreacted TMC and residual acyl chloride groups of IP reaction. The influences of TEA concentration, PEI concentration and SIP time on the physicochemical properties and separation performances of the membrane were systematically analyzed. Our results show that the presence of the gradient structure optimized mass transfer pathways and reduced mass transfer resistance, resulting in significantly improved permeability of 13.0 ± 0.5 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 (over 3 times compared with control-PEI), high MgCl2 rejection of 91.7 ± 0.6 %, and an excellent stability and anti-fouling performance. Our work provides valuable insights and guidance for developing high-performance positively charged NF membrane with gradient structures.

Conversion between digital and analog resistive switching behaviors and logic display application of photoresponsive ZnO nanorods-based memristor

Memristors have shown great application prospects in next-generation non-volatile memory (NVMs) and brain-inspired computing systems, but various application prospects have different requirements for device performance. Currently, it is difficult to precisely regulate the conversion of memristive effects between analog and digital due to the complex resistive switching mechanism. In this work, size-controlled ZnO nanorods was achieved by adjusting the concentration of the surfactant polyethyleneimine (PEI), and further research was conducted for the memristive effect of the as-prepared memristors based on ZnO nanorods with different sizes. The results showed that PEI accelerates the protonation process, leading to the increase of OH– ions, which further leads to the transition of the memristive effect of the as-prepared device from digital to analog as the PEI concentration increases. Moreover, the optical controlled logic display function was achieved in the memristor based on the light-sensitive properties of the ZnO nanorods. Therefore, this work lays the foundation that the memristor with analog and digital memristive effect can control and enrich the application prospects of memristor.

Grafted calcium pectinate-whey protein isolate covalent immobilizers: Optimization, kinetics, thermodynamics, and application

Whey protein isolate (WPI) was incorporated within calcium pectinate (CPT) beads in order to boost their anionic qualities and meliorate their glutaraldehyde (GA)-polyethyleneimine (PEI) grafting process. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) verified that WPI inclusion significantly raised the GA-PEI-CPT-WPI beads immobilized β-D-galactosidase (iβ-GLD) activity. The BBD also revealed the optimal settings for WPI concentration, PEI pH, PEI concentration, and GA concentration, which were 2.91 %, 10.8, 3.5 %, and 2.24 %, respectively. The GA-PEI-CPT-WPI beads grafting process was scrutinized via FTIR, EDX, and SEM. The optimal GA-PEI-CPT-WPI immobilizers provided fine β-GLD immobilization efficiencies, which reached up to 65.28 %. The free and GA-PEI-CPT-WPI iβ-GLDs pH and temperature profiles were scrutinized. It was also unveiled that the thermal stability of the iβ-GLD surpassed that of its free compeer as it provided lesser kd and ΔS values and larger t1/2, D-values, Ed, ΔH, and ΔG values. Furthermore, the iβ-GLD provided 92.00±3.39 % activity after 42 storage days, which denoted its fine storage stability. The iβ-GLD short duration (15 min) operational stability was also inspected, and 82.70±0.78 % activity was provided during the fifteenth degradation run. Moreover, the iβ-GLD long duration (24 h) operational stability was inspected while degrading the lactose of buffered lactose solution (BLS) and cheese whey (CW). It was unveiled that 81.86±0.96 % and 73.58±2.24 % of the initial glucose were detected during the sixth degradation runs, respectively.

Enhanced properties of a positive-charged nanofiltration membrane containing quaternarized chitosan through second interfacial polymerization for the removal of salts and pharmaceuticals.

Nanofiltration (NF) membrane technology has been widely used in the removal of salts and trace organic pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), due to its superiority. A positive-charged composite NF membrane with an active skin layer was prepared by polyethyleneimine (PEI), trimethyl benzene chloride, and quaternate chitosan (HTCC) through second interfacial polymerization on the polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane. The physicochemical properties of the nanocomposite membrane were investigated using surface morphology, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and molecular weight cut-off (MWCO). The influence of the concentration and reaction time of PEI and HTCC was documented. The optimized membrane had a MWCO of about 481 Da and possessed a pure water permeability of 25.37 L·m-2·h-1·MPa-1. The results also exhibited salt rejection ability as MgCl2 > CaCl2 > MgSO4 > Na2SO4 > NaCl > KCl, showing a positive charge on the fabricated membrane. In addition, the membrane had higher rejection to atenolol, carbamazepine, amlodipine, and ibuprofen at 89.46, 86.02, 90.12, and 77.21%, respectively. Moreover, the anti-fouling performance and stability of the NF membrane were also improved.

Phosphorylated/amine-impregnated cellulosic paper for direct CO2 capture

A scalable papermaking process was employed herein to manufacture cellulosic papers from native and phosphorylated cellulose microfibers (referred to as CMF and PCMF, respectively) impregnated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) for Direct Air Capture (DAC) applications. These papers were analyzed in terms of their physico-chemical properties using several techniques. The impact of PEI content on desorbing the co-adsorbed H2O and CO2 from the air, as well as on the anisotropic microporous network, was explicitly analyzed. The results indicated that phosphorylation promotes the uptake of both CO2 and H2O in the corresponding neat and PEI-loaded papers, reaching a superior CO2 adsorption capacity of ∼0.7–0.9 mmol.g−1 for PCMF papers versus 0.07–0.3 mmol.g−1 for CMF papers. Furthermore, the CMF and PCMF papers exhibited H2O adsorption capacities in the range of 1.5–1.8 mmol.g−1 and 2.2–3.8 mmol.g−1, respectively. This work further highlights the combined role of phosphorylation and favorable PEI impregnation in tuning the cellulose CO2 adsorption properties under humid conditions, facilitating the rapid release of the adsorbed CO2 under mid conditions.

Composite membranes from bio-inspired catechol-amine coatings for pervaporation desalination

Compared with reverse osmosis, pervaporation is less influenced by the osmosis pressure of the feed solution, which endows it as an attractive desalination technology. Many researches focus on developing high-performance pervaporation desalination membranes. Bio-inspired polyphenol coatings are versatile tools for engineering membrane surfaces. Here, catechol-amine chemistry was the first time applied to construct dense composite pervaporation desalination membranes via a stepwise coating method. Tannic acid (TA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were chosen as typical materials. Fabrication parameters, including TA and PEI concentrations in the coating solution, pH, and thermal annealing, are crucial to the desalination performance of the resulting membranes. The TA-PEI interactions were studied by the UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy method. The membrane prepared at optimal conditions exhibits excellent desalination performance. The water flux was 43 kg/(m2·h) at 50 °C for the feed of 3.5 wt% NaCl solution (95 kg/(m2·h) at 70 °C). The intrinsic hydrophilicity of the selective layer material ensures the membrane processes of good antifouling performance. This work demonstrates the possibility and potential of applying bio-inspired catechol-amine chemistry to prepare pervaporation desalination membranes.

The Luminescence of Laser-Produced Carbon Nanodots: The Effect of Aggregation in PEI Solution.

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) produced in pure water by the ablation of graphite with a nanosecond laser pulse exhibit weak photoluminescence. A small addition of polyethyleneimine (PEI) to the aqueous suspension of CNDs causes a significant increase in emissions. This paper presents experimental and theoretical studies of the emission properties of CND/PEI systems. The obtained CNDs responded to even trace amounts of PEI in solution (~0.014% v/v), resulting in a significant increase in the initial weak blue emission of CNDs and PEI taken separately. Morphology and size measurements showed that particle aggregation occurred in the presence of the polymer. A decrease in the calculated Stokes shift values was observed with increasing PEI content in the solution. This indicates a reduction in the number of non-radiative transitions, which explains the increase in the emission intensity of the CND/PEI systems. These results therefore confirmed that the increase in the emission of CND/PEI systems is caused by particle aggregation. Kinetic studies proved that the process is controlled mainly by diffusion, the initial stage of which has a dominant influence on determining the optical properties of the system.

Preparation of PEI/La2O3/Polypropylene fiber filter for household water purifiers and investigation of its phosphate reduction and bacterial control

It has been accepted that limiting phosphate is a prerequisite for bacterial inactivation in tap water. La2O3 nanoparticles were loaded onto polypropylene (PP) fibers through the method of melt spinning. Hydrophilic modification of the adsorbent surface was performed using polyethyleneimine (PEI) to prepare PEI/La2O3/PP. The results indicated that the optimal loading amount of La2O3 was 1 %, and the optimal concentration of PEI was 1 %. The successful loading of La2O3 resulted in a roughened fiber surface and increased fiber diameters. After PEI modification the water contact angle was reduced from 98° to 50°. The pHzpc of PEI/La2O3/PP was determined to be 8.3. The co-existing ions have little effect on phosphate adsorption. Phosphate adsorption can be well described by Redlich-Peterson model with a maximum KR-P of 3.98 × 10−5 L/mg. Adsorption kinetics fit well with the pseudo-second-order reaction equation. The activation energy (Ea) is determined to be 57.9 kJ/mol, providing the evidence of chemical nature of the reaction involving phosphate ions on the surface of PEI/La2O3/PP. The PEI/La2O3/PP adsorbent can reduce the phosphate concentration in tap water to below 0.01 mg/L, leading to a reduction in Escherichia coli concentration from approximately 10,000 CFU/mL to around 10 CFU/mL. The survival rates of Escherichia coli in a multi-nutrient environment are higher than in a single phosphate source environment. Our research provides a new feasible approach for ensuring microbial water quality safety in household water purifiers.

Understanding the mechanism of polyethyleneimine-mediated cell disintegration and protein extraction in E. coli: The role of floc network formation and PEI molecular weight

Cell disintegration and protein extraction are crucial steps in downstream process development for biopharmaceuticals produced in E. coli. In this study, we explored the extraction mechanism of polyethyleneimine (PEI) at the cellular level and characterized the floc network that is formed upon PEI addition by Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement and Dispersion Analyzer. PEI disintegrates the cells by detachment of the outer membrane allowing protein to diffuse into the interspace of the flocs. Protein release into the supernatant occurs by diffusion out of the floc network. We could show that the type and concentrations of PEIs with varying molecular weight determines the floc properties and thus the extraction efficiency. We could demonstrate why optimal conditions, using 70 kDa PEI at 0.25 g/g cell dry mass, lead to efficient extraction while at suboptimal conditions extraction is almost negligible. Our findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between floc properties and PEI-driven protein extraction, with potential applications in bioprocessing and biotechnology.

Electrospun PLLA/PEI nanofibers for controlled drug release behaviors and antibacterial efficiency

This study focused on the poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) polymer matrices by adding branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) as an aminolysis agent. Electrospun nanofibers were made by blending PLLA and PEI at various weight ratios (85-15, 75-15, and 65-35) and mixing times (0.5 h, 1 h, and 2 h). Amine groups were introduced into the nanofiber matrices, as confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The PLLA-PEI reaction was affected by mixing time, as shown by rheological measurements of absolute viscosity and surface tension. As a result, the nanofiber diameters decreased up to 42% and 89% with longer mixing time and higher PEI content, respectively. The aminolysis reaction rate increased up to 6.6 times with more PEI. Furthermore, the nanofibers had improved host-guest interactions, as demonstrated by contact angle, drug release, dye adsorption and water adsorption tests. The drug-loading capacity of the nanofibers was enhanced by PEI modification, as indicated by the release profile of tetracycline hydrochloride. The nanofibers also revealed more than 99.99% antibacterial activity due to the presence of the amine groups in PEI. Optimum mixing time and polymer ratio were proved to be substantial parameters to reach appropriate nanofiber and improve spinnability for further biomedical applications.

Achieve superhydrophilicity of polycarbonate with polyethyleneimine and poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid)

ABSTRACT We have investigated a simple two-step method for the hydrophilic modification of polycarbonate using polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid-co-maleic acid) (PAcM). While PEI or PAcM can improve the hydrophilicity, much better hydrophilicity is obtained by treating polycarbonate with PEI and then PAcM. While a higher treating temperature generally leads to a lower contact angle, the reaction time does not play an important role (e.g., between 15 and 90 min). Meanwhile, increasing the concentration of PEI or PAcM can generate better hydrophilicity. Superhydrophilicity is obtained with a contact angle of 3° while maintaining the transparency of polycarbonate.

In situ creation of aramid fiber surface coating with polymerizable deep eutectic solvents and their interfacial bonding properties with rubber

AbstractThe coating was created on the surface of aramid fibers (AFs) by solution dip‐coating and in situ UV curable method, using a polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (PDES), dissolved poly(ethylene imine), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetry confirmed the successful construction of the coating on the AF surface, which accounted for 12%–17% of the total fiber mass. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images revealed a 2 μm increase in fiber diameter and a maximum fiber surface average roughness (Ra) of 263.7 nm when the polyethyleneimine content was 0.5% (AF‐PDES‐0.5). Based on these results, H pull‐out samples of fiber/rubber composites were fabricated. The results indicated that the H pull‐out force of AF‐PDES‐0.5 samples increased by 109.74% than that of untreated fiber, and reached 12.92 N of the maximum strength. In summary, the method is simple, rapid, non‐polluting, capable of continuous, and intelligent construction of coatings on the surface of AF. Thus, making it highly promising for application in the field of aviation tires.Highlights Using PDES, green, and low‐carbon preparation processes. Solution dip‐coating and UV reaction for improved reaction speed and workability. Quantitative of interface thickness and modulus using EDS and AFM.

Study on Magnetic and Plasmonic Properties of Fe3O4-PEI-Au and Fe3O4-PEI-Ag Nanoparticles.

Magnetic-plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted great interest in many fields because they can exhibit more physical and chemical properties than individual magnetic or plasmonic NPs. In this work, we synthesized Au- or Ag-decorated Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with PEI (Fe3O4-PEI-M (M = Au or Ag) NPs) using a simple method. The influences of the plasmonic metal NPs' (Au or Ag) coating density on the magnetic and plasmonic properties of the Fe3O4-PEI-M (M = Au or Ag) NPs were investigated, and the density of the plasmonic metal NPs coated on the Fe3O4 NPs surfaces could be adjusted by controlling the polyethyleneimine (PEI) concentration. It showed that the Fe3O4-PEI-M (M = Au or Ag) NPs exhibited both magnetic and plasmonic properties. When the PEI concentration increased from 5 to 35 mg/mL, the coating density of the Au or Ag NPs on the Fe3O4 NPs surfaces increased, the corresponding magnetic intensity became weaker, and the plasmonic intensity was stronger. At the same time, the plasmonic resonance peak of the Fe3O4-PEI-M (M = Au or Ag) NPs was red shifted. Therefore, there was an optimal coverage of the plasmonic metal NPs on the Fe3O4 NPs surfaces to balance the magnetic and plasmonic properties when the PEI concentration was between 15 and 25 mg/mL. This result can guide the application of the Fe3O4-M (M = Au or Ag) NPs in the biomedical field.

Covalent immobilization of β-galactosidase using a novel carrier alginate/tea waste: statistical optimization of beads modification and reusability

β-galactosidase has been immobilized onto novel alginate/tea waste gel beads (Alg/TW) via covalent binding. Alg/TW beads were subjected to chemical modification through amination with polyethyleneimine (PEI) followed by activation with glutaraldehyde (GA). Chemical modification parameters including PEI concentration, PEI pH, and GA concentration were statistically optimized using Response Surface methodology (RSM) based on Box–Behnken Design (BBD). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results confirmed the great significance of the model that had F value of 37.26 and P value < 0.05. Furthermore, the R2 value (0.9882), Adjusted R2 value (0.9617), and predicted R2 value (0.8130) referred to the high correlation between predicted and experimental values, demonstrating the fitness of the model. In addition, the coefficient of variation (CV) value was 2.90 that pointed to the accuracy of the experiments. The highest immobilization yield (IY) of β-galactosidase (75.1%) was given under optimized conditions of PEI concentration (4%), PEI pH (9.5), and GA concentration (2.5%). Alg/TW beads were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, and SEM techniques at each step of immobilization process. Moreover, the immobilized β-galactosidase revealed a very good reusability as it could be reused for 15 and 20 consecutive cycles keeping 99.7 and 72.1% of its initial activity, respectively. In conclusion, the environmental waste (tea waste) can be used in modern technological industries such as the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Interparticle interaction-dependent jamming in colloids: insights into glass transition and morphology modulation during rapid evaporation-induced assembly.

Understanding the role of interparticle interactions in jamming phenomena is essential for gaining insights into the intriguing glass transition behavior observed in atomic and molecular systems. In this study, we investigate the jamming behavior of colloids with tunable interparticle interactions during evaporation-induced assembly (EIA). By manipulating the interaction among charged colloids using cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI) through electro-sorption and subsequent free polymer induced repulsion, we observe distinct jamming behavior in silica colloids during EIA, depending on the interparticle interactions. Silica colloids with strong repulsive interactions exhibit a repulsive colloidal glass state with a volume fraction of silica colloids in supraparticle ϕ ∼ 0.70. On the other hand, PEI-mediated attractive interactions among silica colloids lead to an attractive colloidal glass phase with a significantly lower ϕ ∼ 0.43. Free polymer induced repulsion of colloids at higher PEI concentration once again results in a repulsive glassy state with ϕ ∼ 0.61. Furthermore, we revealed that interparticle interactions not only influence the jamming behavior but also play a significant role in shaping the morphology of self-assembled structures during EIA, and the assembled structure undergoes a morphological reentrant transition from a doughnut-like shape to a spherical form and again back to a doughnut-like configuration. Jamming-dependent evolution of micropores and dynamics of the confined PEI have been probed using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). PALS reveals distinct variations in the micropores of the supraparticles with different PEI loadings, confirming the impact of jamming on the evolution of the micropores within the supraparticles. BDS measurements uncover non-monotonic dynamics of PEI molecules confined in the evolved pore network. It is revealed that the reentrant jamming behavior of colloids, modulated by PEI, holds profound significance for the long-term stability of supraparticles.

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Laminated with a PEI Adhesion Layer

For the all-solution-processed organic light-emitting diode (OLED), manufacturing the cathode and lowering the work function of the cathode are the main problems limiting their commercialization. This paper reports a two-substrate bonding technology using hot roller lamination with improvement points to solve the existing problems. Ag was used to manufacture the cathode because it is less oxidative compared to Al, which has previously been used conventionally. We tried to use polyethylene imine (PEI), which is conventionally used as an electron injection layer (EIL), as an adhesive layer for the bonding, as it has the quality of being sticky. At higher PEI concentrations, the adhesion strength increased, but the electrical properties deteriorated. Therefore, the PEI wt% was decreased and mixed with polyethylene glycol (PEG), which was reported to lower the work function of the metallic surface. The results showed that the mixed solution of PEI and PEG had good adhesion and electrical properties. The device with an interfacial layer consisting of a 0.1 wt% PEI and 0.01 wt% PEG mixture turned on at 6 V and had a maximum luminance of 2700 cd/m2. The mixed solution layer provided a similar luminous characteristic for single- and double-substrate devices, highlighting the potential of fabricating all-solution-processed OLEDs using the two-substrate bonding technology.

Enhanced separation performance of composite nanofiltration membranes via electrostatic air spray PSS/PEI interlayer

Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with an interlayer were prepared extensively for desalination, but the hydrophilicity and permeability were not well improved. In this work, a smooth and hydrophilic interlayer was constructed by electrostatic air spray deposition (EASD) of poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) on the polyethersulfone substrate and an ultra-thin separation layer was prepared using interfacial polymerization of piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to acquire high-performance composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes. The polymer solution was atomized into tiny particles under a high-pressure electrostatic air spray effect, facilitating the deposition of PSS/PEI with good homogeneity and enabling a denser and smoother interlayer surface. The introduction of PSS/PEI enhanced the hydrophilicity of TFC membranes and increased the repulsion of divalent cations to improve the salt rejection. The impacts of PEI concentration and EASD time on the separation performance of NF membrane were explored. The optimized TFC-3 NF membrane had a permeate flux of 74.5 ± 1.6 L·m−2·h−1 under 0.5 MPa, which was 2.5 times higher than the water flux of conventional TFC-0 membrane, while retaining up to 99.2 ± 0.5 % of Na2SO4. This work provides a prospective strategy to develop high-performance TFC membranes with great extensive progress for seawater purification.

Influence of Polyethylenimine (PEI) in enhancement of microstructure and surface morphology of recycled construction and demolition waste aggregate in concrete by carbonation

This investigation explores the influence of Polyethylenimine (PEI) on the improvement of carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake, surface texture, and pore structure of construction and demolition waste (CDW) through carbonation. The study focuses on the coarser fraction of CDW (10 mm), which is pre-treated with varying concentrations of PEI before being carbonated. The resulting changes in pore structure, mineralogical composition, physical properties, and surface morphologies of the CDW are characterized using various techniques. The study also evaluates the impact of carbonated CDW on compressive strength. The results indicate that PEI modification of CDW enhances carbonation efficiency by reducing pores more effectively than non-treated CDW. This microstructural refinement is possible due to the formation of calcite and its products, facilitated by PEI adsorption into CDW, enhanced CO2 uptake, and formation of calcite products through carbonation. Additionally, PEI modification results in the formation of undulated plate-like structures that enhance surface morphology and compressive strength when used in concrete. The carbonation behavior of PEI-modified CDW in concrete was also investigated by analyzing carbonation depth and pH value. The results reveal that the optimal PEI concentration for enhancing the performance of CDW is 0.2. Overall, the study highlights the potential of PEI modification as an effective approach to improve the properties of CDW and its potential as a sustainable construction material.

Polyethylenimine-based iron oxide nanoparticles enhance cisplatin toxicity in ovarian cancer cells in the presence of a static magnetic field.

Drug resistance in cancer cells is a major concern in chemotherapy. Cisplatin (CIS) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutics for ovarian cancer. Here, we investigated an experimental approach to increase CIS cytotoxicity and overcome cell resistance using nanoparticle-based combination treatments. Polyethylenimine (PEI)-based magnetic iron oxide nanocomplexes were used for drug delivery in genetically matched CIS-resistant (A2780/CP) and -sensitive (A2780) ovarian cancer cells in the presence of a 20 mT static magnetic field. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized and bonded to PEI cationic polymers to form binary complexes (PM). The binding of CIS to the PM binary complexes resulted in the formation of ternary complexes PM/C (PEI-MNP/CIS) and PMC (PEI-MNP-CIS). CIS cytotoxicity increased at different concentrations of CIS and PEI in all binary and ternary delivery systems over time. Additionally, CIS induced cell cycle arrest in the S and G2/M phases and reactive oxygen species production in both cell lines. Ternary complexes were more effective than binary complexes at promoting apoptosis in the treated cells. PEI-based magnetic nanocomplexes can be considered novel carriers for increasing CIS cytotoxicity and likely overcoming drug resistance of ovarian cancer cells.

Leaching kinetics and permeability of polyethyleneimine added ammonium sulfate on weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

At present, in-situ leaching of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores (WCE-DREOs) encounter with problems such as long leaching cycles, slow infiltration rate and low product purity. In order to solve the above problems, the conventional leaching agent ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) was compounded with polymeric surfactant polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form a composite leaching agent. The effects of leaching temperature, PEI concentration, flow rate and pH on leaching kinetics and permeability of rare earths (RE) and aluminum (Al) in orebody were studied. It is found that with temperature increasing, the time required to reach leaching equilibrium for both RE and Al is shortened, the apparent activation energies of RE and Al are 14.79 and 13.45 kJ/mol, respectively, and the leaching processes are in accordance with the outer diffusion control. When the concentrations of (NH4)2SO4 and PEI in the composite leaching agent are 2.0 wt% and 0.4 wt%, the time required to reach leaching equilibrium for RE and Al is about 50% shorter than that using (NH4)2SO4 alone, and the leaching efficiencies of RE are slightly higher than that of Al. Properly increasing the temperature and flow rate of the composite leaching agent can improve the leaching efficiencies of RE and Al, but pH has neglected effects on the leaching efficiencies of RE. At PEI concentrations below 0.4 wt%, the addition of PEI promotes the leaching of RE and Al. In column leaching studies of the WCE-DREO, the addition of 0.4 wt% PEI to the traditional leaching agent (NH4)2SO4 has no impact on the leaching efficiencies of RE. However, it can significantly increase the infiltration rate of WCE-DREO, shortening the leaching time per 10 mL effluent from about 30 min for (NH4)2SO4 leaching system to 20 min for the composite leaching system. The leaching time is shortened by one-third, and the leaching cost is reduced, which can provide theoretical guidance for the development and commercial implementation of novel composite leaching agent for WCE-DREO.