Abstract
We aimed to investigate the relationship between membrane material and the development of membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) using membranes with different pore sizes and hydrophilicities. Batch filtration tests were performed using submerged single hollow fiber membrane ultrafiltration (UF) modules with different polymeric membrane materials including cellulose acetate (CA), polyethersulfone (PES), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with activated sludge taken from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The three UF hollow fiber membranes were prepared by a non-solvent-induced phase separation method and had similar water permeabilities and pore sizes. The results revealed that transmembrane pressure (TMP) increased more sharply for the hydrophobic PVDF membrane than for the hydrophilic CA membrane in batch filtration tests, even when membranes with similar permeabilities and pore sizes were used. PVDF hollow fiber membranes with smaller pores had greater fouling propensity than those with larger pores. In contrast, CA hollow fiber membranes showed good mitigation of membrane fouling regardless of pore size. The results obtained in this study suggest that the surface hydrophilicity and pore size of UF membranes clearly affect the fouling properties in MBR operation when using activated sludge.
Highlights
Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are a new technology that combines several typical operations into a single treatment step [1]
We investigated the effect of membrane hydrophilicity and pore size on the development of UF membrane fouling in a MBR process
We investigated the effect of membrane hydrophilicity and pore size on the to affect the membrane fouling
Summary
Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are a new technology that combines several typical operations (primary sedimentation, activated sludge aeration and sedimentation, and tertiary media filtration) into a single treatment step [1]. MBR has excellent potential for use in a wide range of applications including municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, solid waste digestion, and odor control. This technology has many attractive advantages over conventional wastewater treatment processes due to its small footprint, high effluent quality, high volumetric loading, and reduced sludge production [2]. Membranes (flat sheets and hollow fibers) and membrane systems for MBRs are mainly produced by Japanese manufacturers such as Kubota, Tory, Asahi Kasei, and Mitsubishi-Rayon and North. American companies such as GE and Koch Membrane Systems. The use of hollow fiber membranes in MBR processes has grown recently [3,4]
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