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Membrane fouling control and performance enhancement of ultrafiltration of latex effluent
Author(s) -
Abdelrasoul Amira,
Doan Huu,
Lohi Ali,
Cheng ChilHung
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.22383
Subject(s) - fouling , membrane , ultrafiltration (renal) , biofouling , membrane fouling , chromatography , chemistry , polyvinylidene fluoride , effluent , chemical engineering , ionic strength , materials science , aqueous solution , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , environmental science , biochemistry , engineering
The objective of the present study was to minimize membrane fouling of a latex solution either through improving the membrane surface charge or using a pretreated feed. Hydrophilic polysulphone (PSU) and Ultrafilic flat membranes, with a molecular weight cut‐off (MWCO) of 60 000 and 100 000 dalton, respectively, were implemented under a constant flow rate and cross‐flow mode in ultrafiltration of simulated latex effluent. Hydrophobic polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (PVDF) with a MWCO of 100 000 dalton was also tested. The influence of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS) on the ionic strength of the simulated latex effluent and the surface charge of latex particles at different LAS concentrations was investigated. LAS was also used, at different concentrations and various treatment times, to ensure the enhancement of the antifouling characteristics of the membrane surface. It was concluded that the LAS‐treated membrane surface is much more favourable than the pH‐changed feed pre‐treatment. As such, the total mass of fouling decreased by 44.00 % and 29.60 % in the cases of treated PVDF membrane surface with LAS at a concentration of 0.0001 g/L, and treated latex feed at pH 11, respectively. Nevertheless, LAS was considered to be an ineffective pre‐treatment for limiting the fouling propensity of latex solutions using hydrophilic membranes even at high concentrations and long treatment times.