Forward Osmosis for Produced Water Treatment: Comparative Performance Evaluation of Fabricated and Commercial Membranes

TL;DR

This study compares commercial and custom-made membranes for treating high-salinity oil and gas wastewater using forward osmosis, finding the custom membrane more effective.

Contribution

A novel zwitterionic-coated electrospun nanofibrous membrane is developed and shown to outperform commercial membranes in treating produced water.

Findings

The fabricated membrane achieved up to 40% higher initial water flux compared to the commercial membrane.

The nanofibrous membrane showed total solids rejection as high as 62% under 2.5 M Na3PO4 draw conditions.

Zwitterionic surface chemistry and nanofibrous architecture reduced fouling and reverse solute transport.

Abstract

Produced water (PW) generated from oil and gas operations poses a significant environmental challenge due to its high salinity and complex organic–inorganic composition. This study evaluates forward osmosis (FO) as an energy-efficient approach for PW treatment by comparing a commercial cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane and a fabricated electrospun nanofibrous membrane, both modified with a zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate/polydopamine (SBMA/PDA) coating. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra verified the successful incorporation of SBMA and PDA through the appearance of characteristic sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, and catechol/amine-related vibrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed the intrinsic dense surface of the CTA membrane and the highly porous nanofibrous architecture of the electrospun membrane, with both materials showing uniform coating coverage after modification. Complementary analyses supported these observations: X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine containing functionalities associated with the zwitterionic layer; Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) demonstrated that surface modification did not compromise the thermal stability of either membrane; and contact-angle measurements showed substantial increases in surface hydrophilicity following modification. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of the Permian Basin PW revealed a chemically complex mixture dominated by light hydrocarbons, alkylated aromatics, and heavy semi-volatile organic compounds. FO experiments using hypersaline PW demonstrated that the fabricated membrane consistently outperformed the commercial membrane under both MgCl2 and Na3PO4 draw conditions, achieving up to ~40% higher initial water flux and total solids rejection as high as ~62% when operated with 2.5 M Na3PO4. The improved performance is attributed to the nanofibrous architecture and zwitterionic surface chemistry, which together reduced fouling and reverse solute transport. These findings highlight the potential of engineered zwitterionic nanofibrous membranes as robust alternatives to commercial FO membranes for sustainable produced water treatment.

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