Abstract
A commercial anion-exchange membrane was modified via the electrodeposition of different water-soluble polymers to study the effects of surface modification on electrodialysis performance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses showed that the different polymers were successfully electrodeposited on the membrane surface. The surface morphology and electrical resistance of the modified AEMs were almost unchanged. Contact angle and zeta potential measurements indicated differences in the surface hydrophilicity and surface charge density of the modified AEMs. The electrodialysis performance of the pristine AEM declined significantly in the presence of the foulant. In contrast, the electrodialysis performance of the AEMs modified with poly (vinylsulfonic acid, sodium salt) showed almost no decline and exhibited the best antifouling property in the presence of the foulant, followed by those modified with poly (sodium acrylate) and poly (vinyl alcohol). The results indicated that an increase in surface negative charge density and surface hydrophilicity increased the resistance of the modified AEMs to the foulant and improved their electrodialysis performance.