Abstract
Abstract This study investigates the distribution of residual fouling in used spiral wound ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membrane cartridges. Residual fouling on four full-scale production UF membrane cartridges and two full-scale MF membrane cartridges were investigated with infrared spectroscopy inspecting fat and protein deposits. A non-homogenous distribution of residual fouling was observed with concentrations highest at the center tube decreasing away from the feed side. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate significant factors affecting the model. The observed tendencies can be explained by flow and pressure differences caused by design aspects of spirally wound membrane cartridge and the steel housing. Variations between individual sheets from the same cartridges were observed, suggesting a role from manufacturing variability in residual fouling after cleaning-in-place. This paper describes a new method for mapping fouling proposing a semi-quantifiable description. This description might guide membrane developers and users to optimize cleaning methods in the future.
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