Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging membrane technology that is comparable with existing industrial membrane separation processes. Several studies have shown the potential of bacterial cellulose-alginate (BCA) as membrane material for FO system. An ideal draw solution (DS) compatible with this material was investigated. The three solutions used in the study include NaCl, MgCl2, and fructose. A simulated dirty water was used as the feed solution (FS) and a BCA as the membrane. An optimization study was conducted using central composite design (CCD) with the aid of Design Expert 7.0.0. The optimization was based on a fitted linear model analyzed through ANOVA with the normalized water flux maximized. The optimal solution was determined to be fructose with operating conditions at an osmotic pressure of 70 bar and a flow rate of 300 mL/min. The normalized water flux given these optimal conditions is predicted to be 1.437 LMH∙mm with a desirability of 0.768.
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