Organic fouling of crossflow nanofiltration membrane

• Main Author: Tan, Li Hui.
• Other Authors: Sun Delai, Darren
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Water treatment
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39484
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The effects of flux decline and cake resistances in crossflow nanofiltration in the presence of alum, calcium, with sodium alginate and their combinations were investigated. Sodium alginate as one of natural organic matter (NOM) was used as the main component in this experiment. In this study, it was found that the presence of coagulants resulted in a more severe flux decline and a higher cake resistance at the end of 30hours of fouling. The addition of alum produced a less severe permeate flux decline and a lower cake resistance as compared to the system when 1mM calcium was present. This was due to the different cake development characteristic. Flux decline improved evidently with increasing calcium concentration. The interaction of calcium chloride and alginate resulted a bigger and more fluidized floc at higher calcium concentration based on the viscosity test and particle size distribution analysis.