薄膜复合(TFC)膜是用于低成本和高能效水脱盐工艺的最广泛使用的膜。正确控制三个有影响的表面参数,即润湿性,粗糙度,和表面电荷,在优化TFC膜表面和渗透性能方面至关重要。更具体地说,TFC膜的表面性质通常通过掺入新型特殊润湿性材料来调整以增加亲水性和调节表面物理化学异质性。这些基本参数影响膜的渗透性和防污性能。迄今为止采用的膜表面表征方案相当有争议,并且对于用于评估表面亲水性和物理化学异质性的指标没有普遍的共识。在这次审查中,我们调查并严格评估了使用简单而经济的接触角分析技术来了解膜表面特性的过程。接触角分析允许估计表面润湿性,表面自由能,表面电荷,疏油性,接触角滞后,和相互作用的自由能;所有这些都协调地影响膜的渗透和污染特性。这篇综述将提供通过接触角分析简化膜性能评估的见解,这将最终通过减少表征所需的时间和费用来加快膜开发过程,以确认任何修改的成功和影响。
Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes are the most widely used membranes for low-cost and energy-efficient water desalination processes. Proper control over the three influential surface parameters, namely wettability, roughness, and surface charge, is vital in optimizing the TFC membrane surface and permeation properties. More specifically, the surface properties of TFC membranes are often tailored by incorporating novel special wettability materials to increase hydrophilicity and tune surface physicochemical heterogeneity. These essential parameters affect the membrane permeability and antifouling properties. The membrane surface characterization protocols employed to date are rather controversial, and there is no general agreement about the metrics used to evaluate the surface hydrophilicity and physicochemical heterogeneity. In this
review, we surveyed and critically evaluated the process that emerged for understanding the membrane surface properties using the simple and economical contact angle analysis technique. Contact angle analysis allows the estimation of surface wettability, surface free energy, surface charge, oleophobicity, contact angle hysteresis, and free energy of interaction; all coordinatively influence the membrane permeation and fouling properties. This
review will provide insights into simplifying the evaluation of membrane properties by contact angle analysis that will ultimately expedite the membrane development process by reducing the time and expenses required for the characterization to confirm the success and the impact of any modification.