Chemical Cleaning Reagents Research Articles

Sustainable control of organic-inorganic combined fouling of electroactive ultrafiltration membrane during electrocatalytic-driven self-cleaning process: Mechanism and implications

Organic-inorganic combined fouling of membrane is a tough problem that restrained its application in water treatment, which was insufficient and non-sustainable to be alleviated by conventional chemical cleaning. Herein, a facile and sustainable control strategy was developed to mitigate biopolymer-Ca2+ combined fouling for an electroactive metal-organic framework ultrafiltration membrane. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sodium alginate (SA) were selected as model biopolymer. The results showed BSA and SA fouling both accelerated with increasing Ca2+ concentration (0–1.0 mM) via calcium bridging action and hydraulic cleaning was insufficient to restore flux (flux recovery < 7 %). By comparison, flux can be fully recovered by applying electricity to all combined fouling, suggesting membrane presented outstanding self-cleaning performance. According to the free radical quenching test and physicochemical property of biopolymer, fouling control mechanism was revealed because in-situ electro-generated OH and O2− free radicals caused decomplexation of biopolymer and Ca2+, and then degraded biopolymer into smaller and less hydrophobic fragments that repulsed membrane. Extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory further unveiled the foulants-membrane interaction shifted from attraction to repulsion after self-cleaning. This strategy has the advantages of low chemical cleaning reagents and energy consumption, which may provide the guidance for sustainable control of organic-inorganic combined membrane fouling.

Removal, Adsorption, and Cleaning of Pharmaceutical on Polyamide RO and NF Membranes.

Pharmaceuticals are present in various waters and can be almost completely rejected by membrane separation processes, i.e., nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO). Nevertheless, the adsorption of pharmaceuticals can decrease their rejection, so adsorption can be considered a very important removal mechanism. In order to increase the lifetime of the membranes, the adsorbed pharmaceuticals must be cleaned from the membrane. The used pharmaceutical (albendazole), the most common anthelmintic for threatening worms, has been shown to adsorb to the membrane (solute-membrane adsorption). In this paper, which is a novelty, commercially available cleaning reagents, NaOH/EDTA solution, and methanol (20%, 50%, and ≥99.6%) were used for pharmaceutical cleaning (desorption) of the NF/RO membranes used. The effectiveness of the cleaning was verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectra of the membranes. Of all the chemical cleaning reagents used, pure methanol was the only cleaning reagent that removed albendazole from the membranes.

Effect of chemical cleaning on nanofiltration process in treating surface water

Nanofiltration (NF) has been increasingly used in drinking water treatment plants; however, the severe membrane fouling caused by organic matter poses great challenges to the application of NF technology. This study investigated the mitigation of NF membrane fouling by different chemical cleaning reagents (e.g., citric acid, NaOH, Na4-EDTA, and Na-SDS), Na4-EDTA and Na-SDS performed better to achieve NF permeability recovery of up to 90.5–94.2 % just in a single chemical cleaning cycle. The hydraulic irreversible membrane fouling could be reduced by 44.9–53.8 % in the multi-cycle operation of chemical cleaning. Na4-EDTA-based cleaning was beneficial to the removal performance of sulfamethazine (SM2) and conferred higher removal efficiency than Na-SDS-based cleaning efficiency. The impact of chemical cleaning on energy consumption was evaluated and indicated that Na4-EDTA-based cleaning could reduce the proportion of unfavorable energy consumption by 4.54 %. The operation stability of the NF process could be effectively improved by chemical cleaning, and the organic pollutants accumulated on the membrane surface can be removed, especially the chemical cleaning using Na4-EDTA and Na-SDS. These findings could improve the operational efficiency of the NF process with low energy consumption, low chemical consumption, and less adverse environmental impact.

Fabrication of pervaporation desalination membranes with excellent chemical resistance for chemical washing

Pervaporation membranes have exhibited great potential for desalinating brine solutions. However, the flux recovery after membrane washing and the membrane's resistance to chemical cleaning reagents were barely studied. Our group has reported excellent desalination properties of PVA based pervaporation membranes. Nevertheless, the membranes were damaged during chemical cleaning due to the poor chlorine resistance of PVA. In this study, the more active 1, 2-diol units of PVA were removed by sodium periodate treatment. And then, the modified PVA was crosslinked by FS-3100, a fluorocarbon based crosslinker, to improve its hydrostability and chlorine resistance. The FS-3100 crosslinked composite (PVA-FS/PVDF) showed a water flux of 34 ± 1 kg m−2 h−1 with a NaCl rejection of 99.93% when desalinated a 35000 ppm NaCl solution at 70 °C. Salt rejections were maintained after soaking in 2000 ppm NaClO, acid (pH = 2), and alkali (pH = 12) solutions for 168, 180, and 180 h, respectively. A long term desalination experiment was carried out using Tween 20 and HA as foulants. The water fluxes could be recovered to 100% after chemical washing without losing salt rejections, indicating an excellent long term operation stability of the FS-3100 crosslinked PV membranes.

Comparison of different chemical cleaning reagents on fouling recovery in a Self-Forming dynamic membrane bioreactor (SFDMBR)

Abstract Self-forming dynamic membrane bioreactor (SFDMBR) using large pore size (>5 μm) membrane material is regarded as a cost-effective technology with less fouling and high permeate flux. However, no successful long-term operation without chemical cleaning is achieved. Therefore, an optimum chemical cleaning reagent needs to be explored with the understanding of foulants structure. This study compared the cleaning effects of three typical chemical cleaning reagents, i.e. sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), using a lab-scale SFDMBR. NaClO is identified as the most effective cleaning reagent in view of its trans-membrane pressure (TMP) reduction and permeability recovery efficiency. NaClO could achieve 99.0% of permeability recovery and full TMP reduction, while NaOH and SDS could only recover 87.7% and 76.5% of initial permeability and showed limited efficiency in TMP reduction, although all three reagents can achieve over 70% of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). The major foulant of the SFDMBR was a complex mixture of sludge flocs with EPS. NaClO cleaning can largely remove the flocs and EPS by oxidization effects while NaOH and SDS were only effective in EPS removal, which explained why NaClO cleaning showed the best performance. β-polysaccharide attached on the mesh fibers and acted as the binding substance between the foulants and mesh fibers is the main reason for irremovable inner pore fouling, which only could be significantly removed with NaClO cleaning. These results well explain the difference of filtration performance after three types of chemical cleaning.

Microalgae (Scenedesmus obliquus) dewatering using forward osmosis membrane: Influence of draw solution chemistry

Forward osmosis (FO) is gaining increasing interests for its potential applications in biofuel generation. In this study, bench-scale experiments were conducted to investigate the FO performance for microalgae dewatering which is one of the technical challenges in algal biofuel production. The filtration performance was assessed by analyzing permeate water flux and algal biomass concentration in the feed solution. Compared to the active layer facing draw solution (AL-DS) orientation (>45% flux reduction), active layer facing feed solution (AL-FS) was more efficient (<15% flux reduction) due to the lower membrane fouling and higher cleaning efficiency (>90% water flux recovery after deionized water flushing). In the AL-FS orientation, FO performance strongly depended on the draw solution chemistry with NaCl exhibiting the best results. When Ca2+-containing solution was used as draw solution, microalgae responded to the back diffusion of calcium ions by an extensive excretion of carbohydrates, accelerating the formation of algal flocs, thus enhancing the rate and extent of flux decline and reducing the algae dewatering efficiency. However, most of the flux decline was reversible by simple hydraulic flushing without any chemical cleaning reagents and air scouring. In addition, substantial adsorption of algal biomass was observed on feed spacer. This study has the implication for Scenedesmus obliquus dewatering using FO technology. Selection of AL-FS orientation, Ca2+-free draw solutions and prevention of microalgae adhesion onto feed spacer may significantly improve the efficiency and productivity of the dewatering process.

N-nitrosamine rejection by reverse osmosis: Effects of membrane exposure to chemical cleaning reagents

The impact of chemical cleaning on the removal of N-nitrosamines by low pressure reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated. The results show that caustic chemical cleaning resulted in an increase in membrane permeability but caused a notable decrease in the rejection of N-nitrosamines. The impact of caustic chemical cleaning was particularly obvious for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), which have the lowest molecular weight amongst the N-nitrosamines investigated in this study. A correlation between the increase in permeability and the decrease in the rejection of either NDMA or NMEA could be observed. The rejection of conductivity also decreased as the membrane permeability increased, indicating that conductivity rejection can be an indicative parameter of predicting changes in NDMA and NMEA rejection during RO plant operation. The impact of caustic cleaning was not permanent and could be significantly reduced by a subsequent acidic cleaning step.

Influence of formulated chemical cleaning reagents on the surface properties and separation efficiency of nanofiltrationmembranes

This study investigated the impact of two caustic and one acidic cleaning formulations (namely MC11, PC98, and MC3, respectively) on the properties and separation efficiency of three different nanofiltration (NF) membranes (namely NF270, NF90 and TFC-SR100). Overall, the impact of chemical cleaning on surface properties and rejection was membrane and cleaning reagent specific. It was driven mostly by conformational changes of the membrane polymeric active skin layer in response to an extreme caustic or acidic environment and to a certain extent by the adsorption of cleaning additives (e.g., surfactants and chelating reagents). The influence of chemical cleaning on the membrane properties and separation efficiency was most severe for the NF270 due to its loose and very thin active skin layer. Caustic cleaning using either the MC11 or PC98 formulations led to a significant increase in the permeability and a considerable decrease in the rejection of both inorganic salts and trace organic contaminants by the NF270 membrane. In contrast, acidic cleaning using the MC3 formulation caused a small decrease in the permeability of the NF270 membrane. The influence of chemical cleaning on the NF90 and TFC-SR100 membranes was much less significant, possibly because of their thicker and denser active skin layer. The results reported here demonstrated that the impact of chemical cleaning was not permanent and could be minimised by adapting an appropriate strategy involving caustic cleaning followed by acidic cleaning. FTIR analyses of the virgin and cleaned membranes showed no discernible impact of chemical cleaning on the bonding structure of all three membranes investigatedhere.

Comparison of chemical cleaning reagents and characterization of foulants of nanofiltration membranes used in surface water treatment

Fouling continues to be an important limitation in membrane operation for water treatment. In this work, we compare various chemical agents with respect to their ability to remove fouling as well as their potential to deteriorate membrane rejection or the physical properties of the membrane. Contact angle of the membrane surface appears to be a good indicator of the efficiency of the membrane cleaning in parallel with results of the total organic carbon and the metal presence. The specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) is also shown to be a useful parameter for monitoring the efficiency of cleaning, that can easily be implemented in-line on a full-scale facility.

Gypsum Scaling and Cleaning in Forward Osmosis: Measurements and Mechanisms

This study investigates gypsum scaling and cleaning behavior in forward osmosis (FO). The results show that gypsum scaling in FO is almost fully reversible, with more than 96% recovery of permeate water flux following a water rinse without addition of chemical cleaning reagents. Parallel comparisons of fouling and cleaning were made between FO (without hydraulic pressure) and RO (under high hydraulic pressure) modes. The shape of the water flux decline curves during gypsum scaling is similar in the two modes, but the flux recovery in FO mode is higher than that in RO mode by about 10%. This behavior suggests that operating in FO mode may reduce the need for chemical cleaning. The role of membrane materials in controlling gypsum scaling and cleaning was investigated using cellulose acetate (CA) and polyamide (PA) membranes. Gypsum scaling of PA membranes causes more severe flux decline and is harder to clean than that of CA membranes. AFM force measurements were performed between a gypsum particle probe and the membrane surfaces to elucidate gypsum scaling mechanisms. Analysis of adhesion force data indicates that gypsum scaling of the PA membrane is dominated by heterogeneous/surface crystallization, while gypsum scaling of the CA membrane is dominated by bulk crystallization and subsequent particle deposition.This finding implies that membrane surface modification and new material development can be an effective strategy to mitigate membrane scaling.

Organic fouling of forward osmosis membranes: Fouling reversibility and cleaning without chemical reagents

The recently resurgent forward osmosis (FO) membrane process has the potential to become a sustainable alternative to conventional membrane processes. However, the fouling and cleaning behavior of FO membranes remains largely unknown. There is a need to fully understand the fouling phenomena in FO in order to take advantage of this emerging technology. In this study, we used alginate as a model organic foulant to examine FO membrane fouling and cleaning behavior with the ultimate goal of determining the underlying FO fouling/cleaning mechanisms. Results showed that alginate fouling in FO is almost fully reversible, with more than 98% recovery of permeate water flux possible after a simple water rinse without any chemical cleaning reagents. We also studied the role of applied hydraulic pressure in membrane fouling and cleaning by performing fouling tests in FO (without hydraulic pressure) and RO (with hydraulic pressure) modes. Flux recovery in the FO mode was much higher than that in the RO mode under similar cleaning conditions, although the rate of membrane flux decline was similar in the two modes. The fouling reversibility of FO was attributed to the less compact organic fouling layer formed in FO mode due to the lack of hydraulic pressure. Our results suggest that operating in FO mode may offer an unprecedented advantage in reducing or even eliminating the need for chemical cleaning. AFM force measurements were used to elucidate the impact of membrane materials (cellulose acetate versus polyamide) on membrane fouling and cleaning behavior. Adhesion force data revealed that a small percentage of relatively adhesive sites on the membrane surface play an important role in increasing membrane fouling potential and decreasing cleaning efficiency. This finding implies that using average adhesion force to predict membrane fouling potential is inadequate. Extensive long-range adhesion forces are observed for the polyamide membrane in the presence of alginate and calcium ions. The long-range interactions are attributed to calcium bridging of alginate molecules between the AFM probe and the adhesive sites on the polyamide membrane surface.

The substitution of sand filtration by immersed-UF for surface water treatment: pilot-scale studies

The newly issued National Drinking Water Standard required that turbidity should be lower than 1 NTU, and the substitution of sand filtration by immersed ultrafiltration (immersed-UF) is feasible to achieve the standard. This study aimed to optimise the operational processes (i.e. aeration, backwashing) through pilot scale studies, to control membrane fouling while treating the sedimentation effluent. Results indicated that the immersed-UF was promising to treat the sedimentation effluent. The turbidity was below 0.10 NTU, bacteria and E. coli were not detected in the permeate water. The intermittent filtration with aeration is beneficial to inhibit membrane fouling. The critical aeration intensity is observed to be 60.0 m(3) m(-2) h(-1). At this aeration intensity, the decline rate of permeate flux in one period of backwashing was 1.94% and 7.03% for intermittent filtration and sustained filtration respectively. The different membrane backwashing methods (i.e. aeration 1.5 min, synchronous aeration and water backwashing 2 min, water backwashing 1.5 min; synchronous aeration and water backwashing 3 min, water backwashing 2 min; aeration 3 min, single water backwashing 2 min; synchronous aeration and water backwashing 5 min; single water backwashing 5 min) on the recovery of permeate flux were compared, indicating that the synchronous aeration and water backwashing exhibited best potential for permeate flux recovery. The optimal intensity of water backwashing is shown to be 90.0 L m(-2) h(-1). When the actual water intensity was below or exceeded the value, the recovery rate of permeate flux would be reduced. Additionally, the average operating cost for the immersed UF membrane, including the power, the chemical cleaning reagents, and membrane modules replacement, was about 0.31 RMB/m(3).

Failure analysis following decontamination — laboratory and case studies

Based on the laboratory decontamination results, three failed type 321 stainless steel bellows expansion joints were decontaminated to reduce the radiation dose level below LLD (low limit of detection) and to investigate the cause of failure in laboratory. The corrosion test showed that, apart from 316L and Alloy 600, the corrosion rate of materials increased proportionally with both the temperature and the concentration of chemical cleaning reagents. Importantly, creviced coupons on which heavily localized corrosion was observed showed a higher corrosion rate than rod specimens. Analyses of the decontaminated broken bellows revealed flat-face fractures (produced by high longitudinal stresses) along the upper convolution, where the failure initiated. Rough and fibrous surfaces were observed where the general fracture direction was at 45 degrees to the main tensile load. No detrimental species such as sulfur or chlorine were detected at the crack tips by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The failure of the bellows was attributed to mechanical fatigue.

Advanced reverse osmosis process with automatic sponge ball cleaning for the reclamation of municipal sewage

These experiments were conducted with secondary effluent from the terminal plant at Osaka, Japan, in order to determine the potential of the sponge ball cleaning system as an advanced reverse osmosis membrane cleaning technique. It was confirmed that sandfiltration of the feed as a method for reverse osmosis pretreatment and the use of chemical cleaning reagents to restore flux levels were unnecessary, when sponge ball cleaning was used. As a result, the product water flux was maintained at 0.65 ∼ 0.75m 3/m 2 day at 25°C and membrane rejection was more stable. No damage to the membrane, which would mean a decline of rejection ability, was recognized by scrubbing of the membrane surface by sponge rubber balls. It was confirmed that tight membranes were more suitable than loose ones because firstly it was easier to remove membrane fouling, secondly the product flux was nearly equal, and finally the product water was of better quality.