scholarly journals Membrane Filtration of Anionic Surfactant Stabilized Emulsions: Effect of Ionic Strength on Fouling and Droplet Adhesion

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janneke Dickhout ◽  
Rob Lammertink ◽  
Wiebe de Vos
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Anionic Surfactant ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Flow Cell ◽  
Cellulose Membrane ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cellulose Surface

Membranes hold great potential to be used for the successful treatment of oily waste water, but membrane fouling leads to substantial decreases in performance. Here we study the impact of ionic strength on membrane fouling from an emulsion stabilized by the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS). For this we use a unique combinatorial approach where droplet adhesion to a cellulose surface in a flow cell is compared to membrane fouling (flux decline) on a cellulose membrane. In the initial membrane fouling stages droplet adhesion dominates. While the flow cell demonstrates a high number of droplets adhering especially at high ionic strengths (100 mM NaCl), the strongest flux decline is observed at intermediate (10 mM NaCl) ionic strength. This suggests that the fouling mechanism must be different, with pore blocking expecting to dominate at intermediate ionic strength. At the later fouling stages the porosity of the cake layer plays a key role in the flux reduction. At low ionic strength, oil droplets repel each other strongly and an open, more permeable, cake layer is formed. However at higher ionic strength, a screening of charge interactions leads to a lower porosity and thereby a lower flux. This leads to a clear trend: with a higher ionic strength a higher flux decline is observed. Flux recovery is high at all ionic strengths, in line with the observation in the flow cell that oil droplets can easily be sheared of a cellulose surface at all ionic strengths. This work thus highlights the critical effect of the ionic strength on membrane fouling by anionically stabilized emulsions. Moreover it shows how the use of an optical flow cell can provide key insights to help explain observations in more standard membrane fouling experiments.

scholarly journals Alleviation of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling by ClO2 Pre-Oxidation: Fouling Mechanism and Interface Characteristics

Membranes ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Bin Liu ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Kaihan Yang ◽  
Guangchao Li ◽  
Zhou Shi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Water ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Interaction Force ◽  
Interfacial Free Energy ◽  
Fouling Control ◽  
Membrane Flux ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Interface Characteristics ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Free Energy Analysis

In order to alleviate membrane fouling and improve removal efficiency, a series of pretreatment technologies were applied to the ultrafiltration process. In this study, ClO2 was used as a pre-oxidation strategy for the ultrafiltration (UF) process. Humic acid (HA), sodium alginate (SA), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as three typical organic model foulants, and the mixture of the three substances was used as a representation of simulated natural water. The dosages of ClO2 were 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mg/L, with 90 min pre-oxidation. The results showed that ClO2 pre-oxidation at low doses (1–2 mg/L) could alleviate the membrane flux decline caused by humus, polysaccharides, and simulated natural water, but had a limited alleviating effect on the irreversible resistance of the membrane. The interfacial free energy analysis showed that the interaction force between the membrane and the simulated natural water was also repulsive after the pre-oxidation, indicating that ClO2 pre-oxidation was an effective way to alleviate cake layer fouling by reducing the interaction between the foulant and the membrane. In addition, ClO2 oxidation activated the hidden functional groups in the raw water, resulting in an increase in the fluorescence value of humic analogs, but had a good removal effect on the fluorescence intensity of BSA. Furthermore, the membrane fouling fitting model showed that ClO2, at a low dose (1 mg/L), could change the mechanism of membrane fouling induced by simulated natural water from standard blocking and cake layer blocking to critical blocking. Overall, ClO2 pre-oxidation was an efficient pretreatment strategy for UF membrane fouling alleviation, especially for the fouling control of HA and SA at low dosages.

scholarly journals Application of Coagulation–Membrane Rotation to Improve Ultrafiltration Performance in Drinking Water Treatment

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Hongjian Yu ◽  
Weipeng Huang ◽  
Huachen Liu ◽  
Tian Li ◽  
Nianping Chi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Stress ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Organic Removal ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
The Impact

The combination of conventional and advanced water treatment is now widely used in drinking water treatment. However, membrane fouling is still the main obstacle to extend its application. In this study, the impact of the combination of coagulation and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane rotation on both fouling control and organic removal of macro (sodium alginate, SA) and micro organic matters (tannic acid, TA) was studied comprehensively to evaluate its applicability in drinking water treatment. The results indicated that membrane rotation could generate shear stress and vortex, thus effectively reducing membrane fouling of both SA and TA solutions, especially for macro SA organics. With additional coagulation, the membrane fouling could be further reduced through the aggregation of mediate and macro organic substances into flocs and elimination by membrane retention. For example, with the membrane rotation speed of 60 r/min, the permeate flux increased by 90% and the organic removal by 35% in SA solution, with 40 mg/L coagulant dosage, with an additional 70% increase of flux and 5% increment of organic removal to 80% obtained. However, too much shear stress could intensify the potential of fiber breakage at the potting, destroying the flocs and resulting in the reduction of permeate flux and deterioration of effluent quality. Finally, the combination of coagulation and membrane rotation would lead to the shaking of the cake layer, which is beneficial for fouling mitigation and prolongation of membrane filtration lifetime. This study provides useful information on applying the combined process of conventional coagulation and the hydrodynamic shear force for drinking water treatment, which can be further explored in the future.

Modeling NOM fouling of low pressure membranes: impact of membrane properties and NOM characteristics

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
NoHwa Lee ◽  
John Pellegrino ◽  
Gary Amy
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Low Pressure ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Significant Flux

This research attempted to identify characteristic coordinates responsible for significant flux decline in low pressure membrane filtration, and to explain relationships among those coordinates with a modeling approach. A Pearson's correlation matrix supported that significant flux decline over a short time frame (low delivered DOC) is highly correlated with high molecular weight (MW) components of NOM. Simulations of flux decline by model equations were close to the experimental results revealing that low pressure membrane fouling is dominantly affected by NOM characteristics and membrane properties. One source water, exhibiting the highest flux decline, showed mostly cake formation as a fouling mechanism. The results indicate that significant flux decline is caused by high MW components leading to formation of a cake layer. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that high MW polysaccharides are the most important NOM component affecting significant membrane fouling.

scholarly journals Hydraulic Resistance and Protein Fouling Resistance of a Zirconia Membrane with a Tethered PVP Layer

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 951
Author(s):  
Yian Chen ◽  
Montserrat Rovira-Bru ◽  
Francesc Giralt ◽  
Yoram Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Hydraulic Resistance ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Vinyl Pyrrolidone ◽  
Fouling Resistance ◽  
Model Protein ◽  
Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone ◽  
Ph Range ◽  
Fouling Reduction ◽  
The Impact

The influence of surface modification of zirconia (ZrO2) membrane with tethered poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) chains was evaluated with respect to the impact of pH and ionic strength on hydraulic resistance and fouling resistance in the filtration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lys) as model protein foulants. The tethered PVP surface layer led to membrane permeability and fouling propensity that were responsive to both pH and ionic strength. The PVP-modified membrane (PVP-ZrO2) hydraulic resistance increased by up to ~48% over a pH range of 6–11, but with no discernible impact at lower pH. Membrane hydraulic resistance was virtually unaffected by ionic strength over the 0.001–1 M range. However, reversible foulant cake resistance in BSA and Lys solution filtration increased with elevated ionic strength, owing in part to the weakening of protein–protein repulsion. Irreversible BSA and Lys fouling was affected by the operational pH relative to the protein isoelectric point (IEP) and reduced under conditions of chain swelling. Irreversible membrane fouling resistance for both proteins was significantly lower, by ~11–49% and 18–74%, respectively, for the PVP-ZrO2 membrane relative to the unmodified ZrO2 membrane. The present results suggest the merit of further exploration of fouling reduction and improvement of membrane cleaning effectiveness via tuning pH and ionic strength triggered conformational responsiveness of the tethered target polymer layer.

scholarly journals Studies of polypropylene membrane fouling during microfiltration of broth with Citrobacter freundii bacteria

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Gryta ◽  
Marta Waszak ◽  
Maria Tomaszewska
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Transmembrane Pressure ◽  
Citrobacter Freundii ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Process Duration ◽  
Polypropylene Membrane ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Scanning Electron

Abstract In this work a fouling study of polypropylene membranes used for microfiltration of glycerol solutions fermented by Citrobacter freundii bacteria was presented. The permeate free of C. freundii bacteria and having a turbidity in the range of 0.72–1.46 NTU was obtained. However, the initial permeate flux (100–110 L/m2h at 30 kPa of transmembrane pressure) was decreased 3–5 fold during 2–3 h of process duration. The performed scanning electron microscope observations confirmed that the filtered bacteria and suspensions present in the broth formed a cake layer on the membrane surface. A method of periodical module rinsing was used for restriction of the fouling influence on a flux decline. Rinsing with water removed most of the bacteria from the membrane surface, but did not permit to restore the initial permeate flux. It was confirmed that the irreversible fouling was dominated during broth filtration. The formed deposit was removed using a 1 wt% solution of sodium hydroxide as a rinsing solution.

scholarly journals The Combination of Coagulation and Adsorption for Controlling Ultra-Filtration Membrane Fouling in Water Treatment

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Bu ◽  
Baoyu Gao ◽  
Qinyan Yue ◽  
Caiyu Liu ◽  
Wenyu Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Water Treatment ◽  
Natural Organic Matter ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Filtration Membrane ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Ultra Filtration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Filtration Technology

Ultra-filtration technology has been increasingly used in drinking water treatment due to improvements in membrane performance and lowering of costs. However, membrane fouling is the main limitation in the application of ultra-filtration technology. In this study, we investigated the impact of four different pre-treatments: Coagulation, adsorption, coagulation followed by adsorption (C-A), and simultaneous coagulation and adsorption (C+A), on membrane fouling and natural organic matter removal efficiency. The results showed that adsorption process required a large amount of adsorbent and formed a dense cake layer on the membrane surface leading to severe membrane fouling. Compared to adsorption alone, the coagulation and C-A processes decreased the transmembrane pressure by 4.9 kPa. It was due to less accumulation of particles on the membrane surface. As for water quality, the C-A ultra-filtration process achieved the highest removal efficiencies of natural organic matter and disinfection by-product precursors. Therefore, the addition of adsorbent after coagulation is a potentially important approach for alleviating ultra-filtration membrane fouling and enhancing treatment performance.

Membrane fouling control through aggregate design and trans-membrane pressure selection

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 337-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Lee ◽  
T.D. Waite ◽  
A.G. Fane ◽  
R. Amal
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Size Dependence ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Size Analysis ◽  
Permeate Flux ◽  
Cake Layer ◽  
Cake Porosity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Highly Porous

Treatment of waters and wastewaters by microfiltration (MF) requires the addition of chemical coagulants to enhance the removal of dissolved substances. Under these conditions the feed to the MF contains flocculated particulates which must be retained by the membrane. While an extensive knowledge base on the effect of dispersed particles on membrane cake formation and fouling exists, much less information is available on the impact of aggregates on cake characteristics. Results of impact of the size and structure (as characterized by the fractal dimension) of particulate aggregates on microfiltration membrane fouling are in qualitative agreement with a simple model based on the Carman-Kozeny equation. Larger flocs form a cake with large inter-floc porosity which results in a significantly higher permeate flux than achieved for smaller flocs. Concomitantly, looser flocs (of low fractal dimension) are likely to form a cake that has higher intra-floc voidage thus flux is higher than a cake made of compact flocs of similar size. Analysis of cake compression indicates that compressibility is strongly influenced by trans-membrane pressure (TMP). The placement of highly porous aggregates onto the membrane results in formation of a highly porous cake layer provided a low TMP is maintained. Rapid compression of the cake occurs at higher TMPs as shown by the significantly lower porosity of the cake. Under high TMP conditions, the cake porosity exhibits a strong size dependence with larger floc sizes yielding higher porosities. This result possibly indicates formation of relatively impermeable assemblages (as a result of significant compaction) with flux controlled by inter-aggregate flow, i.e. flow around compressed flocs. In comparison, the marked lack of size dependence of porosity at low TMP suggests that permeate flux is dominated by flow through (rather than around) the highly permeable flocs. These results suggest that it should be possible to control both operating conditions (such as TMP) and floc characteristics such that high permeate flux at a given TMP or low cake resistance at a fixed flux is achievable.

scholarly journals Adhesion of emulsified oil droplets to hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces – effect of surfactant charge, surfactant concentration and ionic strength

Soft Matter ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (26) ◽  
pp. 5452-5460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janneke M. Dickhout ◽  
J. Mieke Kleijn ◽  
Rob G. H. Lammertink ◽  
Wiebe M. de Vos
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Shear Flow ◽  
Surfactant Concentration ◽  
Flow Cell ◽  
Hydrophobic Surfaces ◽  
Oil Droplets ◽  
Emulsified Oil ◽  
Hydrophilic And Hydrophobic Surfaces

Using a novel flow cell technique to study the adhesion of oil droplets to a surface under shear flow.

Predictability of fouling-potential of raw water for ultrafiltration membranes

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-489
Author(s):  
S. Krause ◽  
A. Obermayer
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Ultrafiltration Membranes ◽  
Small Water ◽  
Lab Experiments ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
Public Drinking Water

The public drinking water supply of southern Germany is characterized by a rather decentralized network. Due to the hydrogeological setting in these parts of Germany many of the small water works with an average capacity of 50 m3/h have to treat raw water extracted from karstic or cliffy aquifers. These raw waters tend to be contaminated with particles and pathogens acquired during snowmelt or after strong rainfalls. In the last decade ultrafiltration has become the technology of choice for the removal of the aforementioned contaminants. Flux decline caused by unanticipated membrane fouling is the main limitation for the application of ultrafiltration membranes. This paper describes how membrane fouling phenomena can be predicted by using a statistical approach based on data from large scale filtration systems in combination with field and lab experiments on raw water quality and membrane performance. The data defines water quality and respective fouling phenomena both in technical scale filtration plants and in lab experiments of eleven different raw waters. The method described here is more economically feasible for small water works when compared to typical pilot experiments that are used for high capacity water works.

scholarly journals Potential Pitfalls in Membrane Fouling Evaluation: Merits of Data Representation as Resistance Instead of Flux Decline in Membrane Filtration

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
Bastiaan Blankert ◽  
Bart Van der Bruggen ◽  
Amy E. Childress ◽  
Noreddine Ghaffour ◽  
Johannes S. Vrouwenvelder
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Membrane Filtration ◽  
Data Representation ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Permeable Membrane ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Flux Decline ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Filtration Flux

The manner in which membrane-fouling experiments are conducted and how fouling performance data are represented have a strong impact on both how the data are interpreted and on the conclusions that may be drawn. We provide a couple of examples to prove that it is possible to obtain misleading conclusions from commonly used representations of fouling data. Although the illustrative example revolves around dead-end ultrafiltration, the underlying principles are applicable to a wider range of membrane processes. When choosing the experimental conditions and how to represent fouling data, there are three main factors that should be considered: (I) the foulant mass is principally related to the filtered volume; (II) the filtration flux can exacerbate fouling effects (e.g., concentration polarization and cake compression); and (III) the practice of normalization, as in dividing by an initial value, disregards the difference in driving force and divides the fouling effect by different numbers. Thus, a bias may occur that favors the experimental condition with the lower filtration flux and the less-permeable membrane. It is recommended to: (I) avoid relative fouling performance indicators, such as relative flux decline (J/J0); (II) use resistance vs. specific volume; and (III) use flux-controlled experiments for fouling performance evaluation.

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