PROCESS FOR IMPROVED WATER FLUX THROUGH A TFC MEMBRANE

Provided is a process for preparation of a highly permeable thin film composite membranes for nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis, particularly for reverse osmosis of brackish water. The process includes treating a prepared TFC membrane containing a discrimination layer on a frontside, a support layer, and a felt layer on the backside by contacting the backside of TFC membrane with a solution containing a pore protection agent that includes a tertiary amine salt of camphorsulfonic acid prior to or at the same time as contacting the frontside of the membrane with a solution containing a coating agent and drying the membrane. Also provided are reverse osmosis membranes prepared in accord with the method, and modules containing the highly permeable thin film composite membranes.