In-situ ultrasound-assisted control of polymeric membrane fouling

Heloisa W D Camara; Huu Doan; Ali Lohi

doi:10.1016/j.ultras.2020.106206

In-situ ultrasound-assisted control of polymeric membrane fouling

Ultrasonics. 2020 Dec:108:106206. doi: 10.1016/j.ultras.2020.106206. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Authors

Heloisa W D Camara¹, Huu Doan², Ali Lohi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. Electronic address: hcamara@ryerson.ca.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. Electronic address: hdoan@ryerson.ca.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. Electronic address: alohi@ryerson.ca.

PMID: 32559558
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2020.106206

Abstract

Membrane separation processes have been more widely applied to industrial activities, especially in water and wastewater treatment. However, there are still challenges associated with the use of membranes. Concentration polarization and fouling can cause significant permeate flux decay during the filtration process, hindering its efficiency and increasing cost. Among many strategies, the combination of membrane filtration with ultrasound (US) application has shown promising results in reducing membrane fouling. The main goal of this research was to identify the effect of US frequency, US power intensity and feed solid concentration on permeate flux during ultrafiltration of simulated latex paint effluent. Maximum increase in permeate flux of 19.7% was obtained by applying 20 kHz and 0.29 W cm^-2 to a feed solution containing 0.075 wt% of solid. Overall, the application of US improves permeate flux by reducing fouling of ultrafiltration polymeric membrane.

Keywords: Membrane filtration; Membrane fouling; Ultrasonic cleaning mechanisms; Ultrasonic fouling control.