Hollow fiber semipermeable membrane, method for manufacturing same, module, and water treatment method
To provide a hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane which achieves both water permeability and salt rejection ability at high level, so as to conduct, with small membrane area, a water treatment utilizing concentration difference from liquid mixture of high concentration and high osmotic pressure. A hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane comprising cellulose acetate, characterized in that, between an aqueous solution of 25° C. having sodium chloride concentration of 35,000 mg/L and freshwater of 25° C. having sodium chloride concentration of 0 g/L at 0 MPa, the permeation flow rate flown from inner side to the outer side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane is 60 to 180 L/m 2 /day, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane is 100 to 350 μm, the inner diameter thereof is 50 to 250 μm and the hollow ratio thereof is 24 to 51%.
1. A hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane comprising cellulose acetate for forward osmosis treatment, characterized in that, when an aqueous solution of 25° C. having sodium chloride concentration of 35,000 mg/L and pressure of 0 MPa is flown into an outer side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane having length of about 70 cm while freshwater of 25° C. having sodium chloride concentration of 0 g/L is flown into an inner side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane and discharged at 0 MPa, the permeation flow rate is 60 to 180 L/m 2 /day, the outer diameter of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane is 100 to 350 μIII, the inner diameter thereof is 50 to 250 μm and the hollow ratio thereof is 24 to 51%, wherein a dense layer having a thickness of 0.1 to 7 μm is near the outer surface of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane, wherein said permeation flow rate is measured under such a condition that twice of the permeated water flow rate flown from the inner side to the outer side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane utilizing the concentration difference as a driving force is equal to a flow rate flown into the outer side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane and that the discharged flow rate from the inner side of the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane is equal to 10% of said permeated water flow rate, and wherein the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane exhibits a salt rejection rate of 98% or more.
2. A method for manufacturing the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane mentioned in claim 1 , comprising the steps of: preparing a dope containing cellulose acetate, solvent and nonsolvent; extruding the dope from a nozzle to a coagulating liquid via an air gap to manufacture a hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane; washing this hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane with water; and then subjecting this hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane to an annealing treatment by hot water and further to a post-treatment with salt, characterized in that the concentration of cellulose acetate in the dope is 40 to 45% by weight, that the ratio by weight of solvent/nonsolvent in the dope is from 80/20 to 95/5, that the temperature for the annealing treatment by hot water is 65 to 80° C., and that the salt concentration for the post-treatment with salt is 0.5 to 20% by weight.
3. A hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane module, characterized in that, the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane mentioned in claim 1 is incorporated therein.
4. A water treatment method comprising the steps of: contacting an aqueous solution having high solute concentration with an aqueous solution having low solute concentration via the hollow fiber type semipermeable membrane mentioned in claim 1 ; and taking out freshwater from the aqueous solution having low solute concentration, utilizing the concentration difference.