Membrane BioReactor (MBR) in which membrane separation process is combined with biological processes is an efficient alternative for wastewater treatment and reuse. However, the major process problem with MBRs remains the membrane fouling due to the physicochemical interactions between the membrane material and the components in the mixed liquor. Along with the fouling, membrane permeability de...

In conventional activated sludge (CAS) involving aerobic biological processes, the retention of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) has no detrimental effect on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N) removal. However, for the membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, which is also based on the activated sludge process in addition to the membrane separation process, it has implications no...

The formation of deposits on heat transfer surfaces is the main hurdle in optimum operation of thermal desalination units. It is, therefore, common practice to operate these units i.e. MSF under sub-atmospheric pressure to boil saline water below saturation temperature of which depositions occurs. However this comes with high price-tag for excessive use of energy for pumping. Alternative and en...

ESDU International of London, UK has recently published a ‘User Guide’ [1] on fouling in heat exchange systems using seawater as the coolant. Developed over a period of eighteen months in close collaboration with a team of oil refiners, heat transfer equipment and services suppliers and universities, with valuable input from the power industry, the User Guide is a practical guide to the current...

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are applied for municipal wastewater treatment with advantages such as high effluent quality and low footprint. However, membrane fouling is inevitable even at low fluxes. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of fouling mechanisms and filter cake characteristics based on modeling and results from both full, pilot and lab-scale MBRs. It has been found tha...

We report a versatile approach for the design of substrate-independent low-fouling surfaces via mussel-inspired immobilisation of zwitterionic peptides. Using mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coatings, zwitterionic glutamic acid- and lysine-based peptides were immobilised on various substrates, including noble metals, metal oxides, polymers, and semiconductors. The variation of surface chemis...

the propose of this paper is to introduce a new model for crude oil fouling in preheat trains of crude distillation unit. the experimental results of australian light crude oil with the tube side surface temperatures between 200-260 oc and fluid velocity ranged 0.25 to 0.4m/s were used. the activation energy of chemical reaction depends on the surface temperature has been calculated.  the model...

In the present study, the production of low-salt water from salty water by nanofiltration as well as membrane fouling was investigated. Furthermore, a new method was proposed and tested experimentally for creating the backpulse in order to minimization of fouling and increase of the filtration efficiency. In the proposed method, the permeate was used instead of gas for creating the...

This paper aims to broaden a better understanding of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and its impact on fouling in membrane bioreactor (MBR). Some fundamental knowledge about EPS and MBR fouling was covered in this paper in several aspects including definition of EPS, evaluation of EPS, influencing factors on EPS production and responsibility of EPS on MBR fouling mechanisms.

Tubular membrane filtration is an important process when feed waters with a relatively high solids content are filtered. Such solids would normally have to be removed in a pre-treatment stage if spiral wound modules are to be used. High solids content occurs for example in high turbidity surface waters, wastewaters that contain fibrous materials or in waters where coagulants are added. Tubular ...