Development of novel membranes for reuse of brackish water and sea water desalination via membrane distillation

Membrane distillation (MD) is an alternative to traditional desalination methods such as reverse osmosis and multi stage flash distillation. The key challenge facing MD is the membrane itself which needs to provide high water flux while eliminating salt. The objective of this research is to develop new methodologies for modifying the membrane properties, thereby enhancing the membrane performance. In MD the inlet side of the membrane is required to be hydrophobic to prevent salt water intrusion. The novel membrane proposed here enhances pure water flux by increasing the hydrophilicity on the permeate side. This will be accomplished by providing a thin film coating of a hydrophilic polymeric layer.