Membrane fouling problem is one of the most crucial issues which restricts the development of MBR and is, therefore, the prime research topic for many researchers worldwide. Anaerobic MBRs offer interesting perspectives as a potential solution for the treatment of wastewaters under extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature and/or high salt content, However, the research on membrane fouling of A...

As part of an environmental observation and forecasting system, sensors deployed in the Columbia RIver Estuary (CORIE) gather information on physical dynamics and changes in estuary habitat. Of these, salinity sensors are particularly susceptible to biofouling, which gradually degrades sensor response and corrupts critical data. Automatic fault detectors have the capability to identify bio-foul...

The mechanisms regarding the influence of dissolved organics in papermaking whitewater together with metal ions on the fouling of an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane were studied in this paper. A series of experiments were carried out to characterize the organic matters’ size and membrane flux. The associated fouling mechanism was investigated using the modified Hermia empirical model, resistance ...

Membrane fouling is one of the main issues in membrane processes, leading to a progressive decrease of permeability. High fouling rates strongly reduce the productivity of the membrane plant, and negatively affect the surviving rate of the membrane modules, especially when real wastewater is treated. On the other hand, since selectivity must meet certain target requirements, fouling may lead to...

Abstract: RO membrane fouling is one of the main challenges that membrane manufactures, the scientific community and industry professionals have to deal with. The consequences of this inevitable phenomenon have a negative effect on the performance of the desalination system. Predicting fouling in RO systems is key to evaluating the long-term operating conditions and costs. Much research has bee...

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) has the potential to produce clean, renewable energy from natural salinity gradients. However, membrane fouling can lead to diminished water flux productivity, thus reducing the extractable energy. This study investigates organic fouling and osmotic backwash cleaning in PRO and the resulting impact on projected power generation. Fabricated thin-film composite mem...

Membrane fouling remains an obstacle to wide-spread applications of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment and reclamation. Herein, we report a simple method to prepare a composite conductive microfiltration (MF) membrane by introducing a stainless steel mesh into a polymeric MF membrane and to effectively control its fouling by applying an external electric field. Linear sweep vo...

Fouling of nanofiltration (NF) membranes is the most significant obstacle to the development of a sustainable and energy-efficient NF process. Colloidal fouling and performance decline in NF processes is complex due to the combination of cake formation and salt concentration polarization effects, which are influenced by the properties of the colloids and the membrane, the operating conditions o...

In this study, a method of in situ membrane fouling quantification is developed that enables comparisons of foulant accumulation between desalination processes with different membranes, driving forces, and feed solutions. Unlike the conventional metric of flux decline, which measures the response of a process to fouling, the proposed method quantifies the foulant accumulation. Foulant accumulat...

this paper presents the results of an investigation on the effects of concentration of cations on activated sludge properties and membrane fouling in submerge membrane bioreactors. the working volume of the experimental setup was two liters. the cellulose acetate membrane was immersed in the bioreactor. the flocculability, settling properties and fouling propensity of activated sludge was measu...