Details of surface features in aromatic polyamide reverse osmosis membranes characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy

In the present article, some new events on the surface morphology of the aromatic polyamide thin-film-composite (TFC) membranes were demonstrated in conjunction with their inherent chemical nature. In addition, the detailed, quantitative understanding of the microscopic surface features was shown to be essential in controlling the water permeability and eventually developing the high performance membranes. The surface roughness and the surface area were mainly affected by the existence or nonexistence of the crosslinking and/or the free amide groups not pertinent to the formation of the hydrogen bonding, which in turn contributed to the water permeability. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.