Membrane fouling

Fouling of a membrane in different steps 1–5. 1) virgin membrane 2) pore narrowing 3) pore blocking 4) cake layer formation 5) cleaned membrane

Membrane fouling is a process whereby a solution or a particle is deposited on a membrane surface or in membrane pores in a processes such as in a membrane bioreactor,[1] reverse osmosis,[2] forward osmosis,[3] membrane distillation,[4] ultrafiltration, microfiltration, or nanofiltration[5] so that the membrane's performance is degraded. It is a major obstacle to the widespread use of this technology. Membrane fouling can cause severe flux decline and affect the quality of the water produced. Severe fouling may require intense chemical cleaning or membrane replacement. This increases the operating costs of a treatment plant. There are various types of foulants: colloidal (clays, flocs), biological (bacteria, fungi), organic (oils, polyelectrolytes, humics) and scaling (mineral precipitates).[6]

Fouling can be divided into reversible and irreversible fouling based on the attachment strength of particles to the membrane surface. Reversible fouling can be removed by a strong shear force or backwashing. Formation of a strong matrix of fouling layer with the solute during a continuous filtration process will result in reversible fouling being transformed into an irreversible fouling layer. Irreversible fouling is the strong attachment of particles which cannot be removed by physical cleaning.[7]

  1. ^ Meng, Fangang; Yang, Fenglin; Shi, Baoqiang; Zhang, Hanmin (February 2008). "A comprehensive study on membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors operated under different aeration intensities". Separation and Purification Technology. 59 (1): 91–100. doi:10.1016/j.seppur.2007.05.040.
  2. ^ Warsinger, David M.; Tow, Emily W.; Maswadeh, Laith A.; Connors, Grace B.; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Lienhard V, John H. (2018). "Inorganic fouling mitigation by salinity cycling in batch reverse osmosis". Water Research. 137: 384–394. Bibcode:2018WatRe.137..384W. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.060. hdl:1721.1/114637. ISSN 0043-1354. PMID 29573825.
  3. ^ Tow, Emily W.; Warsinger, David M.; Trueworthy, Ali M.; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Thiel, Gregory P.; Zubair, Syed M.; Myerson, Allan S.; Lienhard V, John H. (2018). "Comparison of fouling propensity between reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, and membrane distillation". Journal of Membrane Science. 556: 352–364. doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2018.03.065. hdl:1721.1/115270. ISSN 0376-7388.
  4. ^ Warsinger, David M.; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Guillen-Burrieza, Elena; Arafat, Hassan A.; Lienhard V, John H. (2015). "Scaling and fouling in membrane distillation for desalination applications: A review" (PDF). Desalination. 356: 294–313. Bibcode:2015Desal.356..294W. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2014.06.031. hdl:1721.1/102497. ISSN 0011-9164.
  5. ^ Hong, Seungkwan; Elimelech, Menachem (1997). "Chemical and physical aspects of natural organic matter (NOM) fouling of nanofiltration membranes". Journal of Membrane Science. 132 (2): 159–181. doi:10.1016/s0376-7388(97)00060-4. ISSN 0376-7388.
  6. ^ Baker, R.W. (2004). Membrane Technology and Applications, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd
  7. ^ Choi, H., Zhang, K., Dionysiou, D.D.,Oerther, D.B.& Sorial, G.A. (2005) Effect of permeate flux and tangential flow on membrane fouling for wastewater treatment. J. Separation and Purification Technology 45: 68-78.