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Spray-assisted interfacial polymerization for fabricating polyamide nanofiltration membranes on polyethylene substrates

Authors： CHEN Dejian1, SHI Xiaohui2, KUANG Wu3,5, LI Ying4, CHEN Xiang1, YAO Zhikan1, ZHANG Lin1

Units： 1. MOE Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment Technology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China； 2. Xi’an Huayang Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710100, China； 3. Beijing Originwater Membrane Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 101407, China; 4. School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; 5. China Urban and Rural Construction Development Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430056, China

KeyWords： polyethylene microporous membrane; spray; interfacial polymerization; polyamide nanofiltration membrane

ClassificationCode：TQ028.8

year,volume(issue):pagination： 2026,46(1):78-87

Abstract：

Polyamide nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been widely applied due to their excellent separation performance. However, conventional interfacial polymerization (CIP) often suffers from poor controllability of the selective layer structure and low utilization efficiency of reactant solutions. In this study, a spray-assisted interfacial polymerization technique was developed by combining spray coating with interfacial polymerization, using a polyethylene microporous membrane as the support to fabricate polyethylene-based nanofiltration membranes (PE-NF). The effects of preparation parameters on the membrane structure and separation performance were systematically investigated. Results showed that the spray-assisted interfacial polymerization produced a smoother and more uniform polyamide layer. Under optimized conditions, the resulting membrane exhibited a Na2SO4 rejection of over 98% and a water permeate flux of approximately 72 L/(m2·h), significantly higher than that of the CIP-prepared membrane [<50 L/(m2·h)]. The spray-assisted membrane exhibited a lower crosslinking degree, larger effective pore size and strong surface negativity, which collectively contributed to its enhanced water flux while maintaining excellent separation selectivity. This study demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of spray-assisted interfacial polymerization for the controlled construction of polyamide separation layers, providing a useful reference for the design and fabrication of advanced nanofiltration membranes.

Funds：

国家重点研发计划项目（2023YFB3810900）；浙江省“领雁”计划项目(2023C03150)；浙江省基础公益研究计划项目（LZJWY22B070004）

AuthorIntro：

陈德鉴（2002-），男，浙江温州人，硕士研究生，主要从事膜材料制备及应用研究

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