Type
ArticleAuthors
Aubry, CyrilKhan, Muhammad
Behzad, Ali Reza
Anjum, Dalaver H.

Gutiérrez, Leonardo A.
Croue, Jean-Philippe
KAUST Department
Advanced Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Core LabBiological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division
Core Labs
Environmental Science and Engineering Program
Imaging and Characterization Core Lab
Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center (WDRC)
Date
2014-01Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/563302
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The intact cross-section of two fouled reverse osmosis membranes was characterized using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with an electron energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS). Focused ion beam (FIB) was used to prepare a thin lamella of each membrane. These lamellas were then attached to a TEM grid for further STEM/EDS analysis. The foulant in sample A was mainly inorganic in nature and predominantly composed of alumino-silicate particles. These particles were surrounded by carbon at high concentrations, indicating the presence of organic materials. Iron was diffusely present in the cake layer and this could have enhanced the fouling process. The cake layer of membrane B was mainly consisted of organic matter (C, O, and N representing 95% of the total elemental composition) and organized in thin parallel layers. Small concentrations of Si, F, Na, Mg, and Cl were detected inside the active layer and support layer of the membrane. Due to the high sensitivity of the cake layer of membrane A to the electron beam, STEM/EDS line analyses might have been performed on large areas. On the other hand, the cake layer of sample B was resistant to the electron beam and the resolution of STEM/EDS was gradually improved until obtaining a resolution of 25. nm. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.Citation
Aubry, C., Khan, M. T., Behzad, A. R., Anjum, D. H., Gutierrez, L., & Croue, J.-P. (2014). Cross-sectional analysis of fouled SWRO membranes by STEM–EDS. Desalination, 333(1), 118–125. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.033Publisher
Elsevier BVJournal
Desalinationae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.033