Fabrication of dialyzer membrane-based forward osmosis modules via vacuum-assisted interfacial polymerization for the preparation of dialysate

Direct preparation of dialysate from tap water based on osmotic dilution is beneficial for home hemodialysis which requires a defect-free forward osmosis (FO) membrane module. This report introduced a new vacuum-assisted interfacial polymerization (VAIP) process for optimal distribution of the aqueous phase and a well-controlled IP using dialyzer membranes. We demonstrated statistically that the vacuum-assisted process is beneficial for the preparation of integral FO modules with multiple fine fibers due to the good distribution of the aqueous phase. The as-prepared FO module displayed a low structural parameter (262 μm), an acceptable water flux (17.6 L m−2 h−1), and a low specific reverse salt flux (0.16 g/L) using deionized (DI) water as the feed and 1 M NaCl as the draw in AL-FS mode. Direct dialysate preparation from tap water using the FO module was presented and modeled with a good fit. The work showcases a new FO module based on dialyzer and its potential applications in the medical field.