Hollow fiber membranes for reverse osmosis were manufactured by the melt spinning of cellulose acetate, which was mixed with a water soluble plasticizer, polyethylene glycol.
As the characteristics of the hollow fiber membranes, water permeability and salt rejection were measured. The effect of the mol. wt., concentration of the plasticizer and the effect of surface treatment on these properties were also investigated.
The morphology of the hollow fiber membranes were observed by scanning electron microscopy.
The above results lead to the conclusions as follows :
1. Water flux increases but salt rejection decreases, as the mol. wt. and plasticizer content is increased.
2. A dense layer on the hollow fiber surface was formed by the surface treatment, and increased salt rejection and decreased water flux were observed.
