RO and NF membrane fouling and cleaning and pore size distribution variations

Abstract

The variations of porosity parameters of some reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) polyamide thin-film composite membranes were determined in order to explain the changes of membranes' performances caused by membrane fouling and chemical cleaning of the fouled membranes. The pore size distribution curves and the effective number of pores in the membrane surface indicated plugging of the tight network pores in the membrane surface and even their disappearance during fouling. The enlargement of the wider aggregate pores was responsible for the noticed reduction in salt rejection. The initial pore structure of the fouled RO membrane was restored by immediate chemical cleaning. A delay of chemical cleaning of the fouled membranes led to irreversible changes in the porous structure of both the RO and NF membranes, which were caused by a microbial activity.