Ion beam irradiation modifications of a commercial polyether sulfone water-treatment membrane

A commercial polyether sulfone (PES) water-treatment membrane was modified by ion beam irradiation. Bench-scale cross-flow filtration experiments were conducted to investigate the transport properties and fouling potential of the modified membrane with respect to the four major constituents of raw water: monovalent cations, divalent cations, natural organic matter (NOM), and bacterial presence. Results indicated modification led to a reduction in the charge of the membrane, as observed by lower rejection of monovalent cations and increased cross-linking of divalent cations on the membrane's surface, along with a hardening of membrane pores, as observed by increased organic matter removal. The most significant result was with respect to NOM fouling, which was shown to become more reversible.