High-Performance Membrane Fabrication for Minimizing Mineral Scaling and Improving Performance in Nanofiltration Applications

Mineral scaling caused by multivalent metal ions continues to plague nanofiltration membranes used in water treatment. In this study, in-situ interfacial polymerisation, a particular post-treatment, and a second washing step with a biodegradable anti-scalant in 1.8 M citric acid are used to synthesize membranes. This two-step technique optimises membrane physico-mechanical properties, improving performance. Under optimal circumstances (under 20 minutes post-treatment), the modified membrane's water permeability increased from prescribed mesurements. As predicted, the barrier rejected organic contaminants and emerging pollutants in groundwater at 375 Da, the number-average molecular weight cut off. Improved ion rejection performance resulted in Na₂SO₄ rejection of 93.7% +/- 1.5% and CaCl₂ rejection of 14.8% +/- 1.2%. After long-term usage under low recovery rate conditions, anti-scaling investigations found that water permeance lowers only 28.7% while the rating drops 62.5% of the plain membrane. These findings suggest that this more advanced membrane engineering strategy may solve scaling issues and spur desalination and water purification innovation.