Abstract Management of high-salinity brines is a global environmental challenge. Recently, we proposed a novel cascading osmotically mediated reverse osmosis (COMRO) technology for energy-efficient hypersaline desalination. In this study, a transport model is established for COMRO. We investigate the impacts of hydraulic pressure and salinity on transport and structural properties of thin-film composite osmotic membranes in COMRO. Our results show that transport properties are not affected by transitory pressure changes on the order of hours. But on longer timescales, on the order of days, the membrane undergoes compaction/relaxation in response to pressurization/depressurization, with water and salt permeabilities declining/recovering accordingly. Importantly, the water and salt permeabilities change in the same proportion. We found that this is due to morphological changes of the active-support interlayer altering the effective membrane area. The membrane structural parameter is demonstrated to be consistent at different salinities. As salinity increases, both water and salt permeabilities increase, but salt permeability rises substantially more. Lastly, the presented transport model is validated by good agreement between experimental and predicted water fluxes. This study advances the understanding of membrane transport and structural properties in the emerging COMRO technology, and provides insights into water and salt transport for other osmotic membrane processes.

中文翻译：

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使用级联渗透介导的反渗透进行高盐度脱盐时渗透膜的传输和结构特性

摘要 高盐盐水的管理是一项全球性的环境挑战。最近，我们提出了一种新型的级联渗透介导反渗透 (COMRO) 技术，用于高能效高盐淡化。在本研究中，建立了 COMRO 的运输模型。我们研究了液压和盐度对 COMRO 中薄膜复合渗透膜的传输和结构特性的影响。我们的结果表明，运输特性不受数小时级的瞬时压力变化的影响。但在更长的时间尺度上，以天为单位，膜会因加压/减压而发生压实/松弛，水和盐的渗透率相应地下降/恢复。重要的是，水和盐的渗透率以相同的比例变化。我们发现这是由于活性载体夹层的形态变化改变了有效膜面积。证明膜结构参数在不同盐度下是一致的。随着盐度的增加，水和盐的渗透率都会增加，但盐的渗透率会显着增加。最后，所提出的传输模型通过实验和预测的水通量之间的良好一致性得到了验证。这项研究促进了对新兴 COMRO 技术中膜传输和结构特性的理解，并为其他渗透膜过程的水和盐传输提供了见解。随着盐度的增加，水和盐的渗透率都会增加，但盐的渗透率会显着增加。最后，所提出的传输模型通过实验和预测的水通量之间的良好一致性得到了验证。这项研究促进了对新兴 COMRO 技术中膜传输和结构特性的理解，并为其他渗透膜过程的水和盐传输提供了见解。随着盐度的增加，水和盐的渗透率都会增加，但盐的渗透率会显着增加。最后，所提出的传输模型通过实验和预测的水通量之间的良好一致性得到了验证。这项研究促进了对新兴 COMRO 技术中膜传输和结构特性的理解，并为其他渗透膜过程的水和盐传输提供了见解。