Keeping the RO Membranes of the Future Continuously Clean

The main boost in desalination technology will come from new membranes currently in development, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, aquaporin, and others. The common feature of all these membranes is high flux operation, dozens of times higher than that of the present membranes. This dramatic increase in flux promises a list of technological and commercial benefits. The drawback of the new RO membrane is related to a misbalance between ultrafiltration (UF) pretreatment, which will be similar to that currently in use, and the high flux operation of the new RO membranes. The UF pretreatment membrane allows the passage of small organic molecules that will plug the high flux membranes in a short time. This, in turn, will increase the required feed pressure and negatively affect the expected low Bcarbon footprint of future desalination technology.