우리는 정삼투 공정의 유도용질로서 잠재적인 활용 가능성을 확인하기 위해 식물화학물질인 tannic acid (TA)에 알칼리 염 처리한 alkali tannate 염 중 하나인 potassium tannate (TA-K)를 평가하였다. TA-K의 정삼투 특성과 회수 특성은 체계적으로 조사되었다. 정삼투 공정을 active layer facing feed solution (AL-FS) 방식으로 적용했을 때, TA-K 유도용액의 투수량은 TA 유도용액의 투수량 보다 훨씬 많은 반면, TA 유도용액의 투수량이 거의 확인되지 않았다. 100 mM 저농도에서 의 TA-K 유도용액의 삼투압(1,135 mOsmol/kg)은 NaCl 수용액의 삼투압(173 mOsmol/kg)의 약 6.5배로 확인되었다. 100 mM 농도의 TA-K의 투수량과 specific salt flux (6.14 LMH, 1.26 g/L)는 동일한 농도의 NaCl 유도용액의 투수량과 specific salt flux (2.46 LMH, 2.63 g/L)의 약 2.5배 및 0.5배로 각각 확인되었다. TA-K를 재사용하기 위해, 금속 이온 침전법을 이용 하여 TA-K유도용질을 침전시킨 후, membrane filtration을 이용하여 유도용질을 회수하였다. 이 연구는 식물화학물질을 정삼투 공정의 유도용질로서의 적용 가능성을 보여준다.

We synthesized the poly(4-vinylbenzyltributylammonium hexanesulfonate) P[VBTBA][HS] which was obtained via anion exchange with hexanesulfonate after acquiring monomer [VBTBA][Cl] by Menshutkin reaction to investigate its feasibility as draw solute for forward osmosis process. P[VBTBA][HS] shows lower critical solution temperature (LCST) property at about 21℃, while LCST property of [VBTBA][Cl] and P[VBTBA][Cl] was not confirmed. This result suggests that P[VBTBA][HS] can be recovered from solution by heating them to above LCST. In AL-FS mode with solution of 20 wt% P[VBTBA][HS] at 15℃, water flux and reverse solute flux were found to be about 6.43 LMH and 0.59 gMH. This study can provide an understanding of new way of proceeding draw solute and information for the potential design and synthesis of thermo-responsive organic material.

We synthesized the zwitterionic homopolymer polysulfobetaine (PBET), which shows upper critical solution temperature property, in order to investigate its feasibility as a draw solute for the forward osmosis (FO) process. The UCST property of the monomer sulfobetaine (BET) was not confirmed, while the UCST property of PBET was confirmed to be roughly 41°C. This result suggests that PBET can be recovered from aqueous solutions by cooling them to below the UCST. In an active layer facing feed solution (AL-FS) method containing 20 wt% PBET at 50°C, the water flux and reverse solute flux of PBET were found to be roughly 3.22 LMH and 0.36 gMH, respectively. This research provides a deep understanding of new ways of developing draw solutes, and could provide inspiration for the design and synthesis of thermo-responsive organic materials.