Use of treated composite polyamide membranes to separate concentrated solute

Claim 1

A reverse osmosis membrane process for separating water from an aqueous solution containing at least one selected solute which has a solute passage through a composite crosslinked polyamide membrane at least twice that of sodium chloride at like conditions comprising: (A) contacting a first side of a treated composite crosslinked polyamide membrane with an aqueous feed solution containing said selected solute at conditions where a chemical potential exists between the first side and a second side of the membrane sufficient that water having a reduced concentration of the selected solute relative to the aqueous feed solution diffuses through the membrane from the first side to the second side: and (B) collecting the purified water from the second side of the membrane, by providing the treated composite, crosslinked polyamide membrane with properties of substantial tolerance to acidic or basic conditions and organic materials, while maintaining high water flux, by a process comprising contacting: (i) a crosslinked polyamide discriminating layer, which is derived from reactants comprising (a) a compound or polymer bearing at least two aromatic primary amine groups and (b) a compound or polymer bearing an average of more than two carboxylic acid halide groups, said reactants being interfacially polymerized on a microporous support, with (ii) an effective amount of an amine-reactive reagent or compatible oxidant, sufficient that the membrane after treatment has a water flux of at least 50 percent of the membrane prior to treatment and passage of the selected solute in an aqueous solution at the same selected solute concentration in the feed and an equivalent operating pressure at 25° C. is reduced by at least 30 percent relative to that obtained with the same membrane prior to treatment.