Abstract
Membrane separation processes have been more widely applied to industrial activities, especially in water and wastewater treatment. However, there are still challenges associated to the use of membranes. Concentration polarization and fouling can cause significant permeate flux decay during the filtration process, hindering its efficiency and increasing cost. Among many strategies, the combination of membrane filtration with ultrasound (US) application has shown promising results in reducing membrane fouling. The main goal of this research was to identify the effect of US frequency, US power intensity and feed solution concentration on permeate flux during ultrafiltration of simulated latex paint effluent. Maximum increase in permeate flux of 19.7% was obtained by applying 20 kHz and 0.29 W.cm-2 to feed solution with 0.075 wt.% of solid concentration. The effect of feed flow rate was analyzed showing that an increase in feed flowrate is not beneficial to the fouling minimization process. Overall, the application of US improves permeate flux by reducing fouling of ultrafiltration polymeric membrane.
Highlights
With a fast-growing population, the worldwide demand for water is increasing sharply
Operating Parameters As the goal of this study is to investigate the effect of continuous in-situ ultrasound application to avoid fouling during ultrafiltration of simulated latex wastewater, three operating parameters were controlled: ultrasonic frequency (F), ultrasonic power (Pw) and feed solution solid concentration (Cs)
A preliminary investigation was performed to ensure that the application of ultrasound could improve permeate flux of two polymeric membranes
Summary
With a fast-growing population, the worldwide demand for water is increasing sharply. Contaminated water consumption and lack of appropriate sewage systems are the major cause of illness around the world (Singh, 2015b). In this perspective, the development of efficient and affordable water treatment is crucial for life management in the planet. Great research effort has been devoted to the development of technologies that can deliver water quality in accordance to environmental health and safety standards. The development of membrane filtration processes and their advantages are presented. The development of membrane technology started on early eighteenth century when Abbé Nolet, in 1748, used the term ‘osmosis’ for the first time. Membrane technology was still used in laboratory applications, leading to the understanding and development of many physical and chemical concepts widely used nowadays (Baker, 1996)
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