Abstract
Ceramic membranes have been widely used in oil-water treatment; however, membrane fouling remains a challenge that must be addressed to improve the process feasibility. A thin layer of polydopamine (PDA) was dynamically deposited on the surface of the alumina hollow fiber membranes to reduce oil adhesion. The PDA-alumina membranes were characterized by using SEM-EDS, AFM, and water contact angle measurements. The performance of the modified membranes was evaluated using synthetic crude oil emulsions (100 mg·L-1) in a crossflow system. Membranes modified with PDA exhibited 97% oil rejection, and a stabilized permeate flux of 463 L·h-1·m-2 with a relative flux reduction of 60% and a flux recovery ratio of 75% was observed after cleaning, indicating lower oil adhesion and better fouling reversibility. The most predominant fouling mechanism for the modified membranes seems to be cake filtration because of the reduction in pore size due to the deposition of the PDA layer.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
