The poly(acrylic sodium) (PAS)/poly(ether sulfone) (PES) composite ultrafiltration membranes were prepared by coating PAS membrane solution on PES support membrane. The effects of substrate membrane, the composition of PAS Solution such as PAS concentration, the choice of the solvent and the additive, and the thickness of PAS active layer on the performance of the composite membranes were extensively investigated. The experimental results have indicated the optimal PAS/PES composite membranes, containing a PES substrate with MWCO of 70,000, together with a PAS top layer having a thickness of about 20 pm. were tested at room temperature and under the pressure of 0.6 MPa with the mass concentration of 0.005 g/L poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Mw = 1000 g/mol) solution, a flux of 32.6 L/(m(2)h) and a rejection of 92.2% were obtained, which are superior to those of the common commercial membranes reported. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.