The use of ultrasound to mitigate membrane fouling in desalination and water treatment

Qasim, Muhammad; Darwish, N.N.; Mhiyo, S.; Darwish, Naif A.; Hilal, Nidal

doi:10.1016/j.desal.2018.04.007

Cited by 142 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 132 publications

(246 reference statements)

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“…With the advancements in membrane science, membrane-based processes are now considered to be the most promising and practical desalination options owing to their high energy efficiency [14,15]. In addition, these processes offer advantages such as low space requirement, process and plant compactness, operational simplicity, and ease of process automation [16]. Pressure-driven membrane-based processes utilize semipermeable membranes to purify water during which water molecules diffuse through the membrane while the salts are rejected [17,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse osmosis desalination: A state-of-the-art review

et al. 2019

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Water scarcity is a grand challenge that has always stimulated research interests in finding effective means for pure water production. In this context, reverse osmosis (RO) is considered the leading and the most optimized membrane-based desalination process that is currently dominating the desalination market. In this review, various aspects of RO desalination are reviewed. Theories and models related to concentration polarization and membrane transport, as well as merits and drawbacks of these models in predicting polarization effects, are discussed. An updated review of studies related to membrane modules (plate and frame, tubular, spiral wound, and hollow fiber) and membrane characterization are provided. The review also discusses membrane cleaning and different pre-treatment technologies in place for RO desalination, such as feed-water pre-treatment and biocides. RO pre-treatment technologies, which include conventional (e.g., coagulationflocculation, media filtration, disinfection, scale inhibition) and non-conventional (e.g., MF, UF, and NF) are reviewed and their relative attributes are compared. As per the available literature, UF, MF and coagulation-flocculation are considered the most widely used pre-treatment technologies. In addition, this review discusses membrane fouling, which represents a serious challenge in RO processes due to its significant contribution to energy requirements and process economy (e.g., flux decline, permeate quality, membrane lifespan, increased feed pressure, increased pre-treatment and membrane maintenance cost). Different membrane fouling types, such as colloidal, organic, inorganic, and biological fouling, are addressed in this review. Principles of RO process design and the embedded economic and energy considerations are discussed. In general, cost of water desalination has dropped to values that made it a viable option, comparable even to conventional water treatment methods. Finally, an overview of hybrid RO desalination processes and the current challenges faced by RO desalination processes are presented and discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse osmosis desalination: A state-of-the-art review

et al. 2019

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“…(4) About 20 mg L −1 of SA solution was then passed through the membrane for 5 h and record the final flux of the filter solution ( J P /L·m −2 ·h −1 ). (5) To more thoroughly clean the membrane for reversible contamination, this study used ultrasonic cleaning to replace the simple surface hydraulic flushing . Contaminated membrane was cleaned in an ultrasonic bath for 10 min followed by its filtering with 4 L of DI water, which was used to test the recovery of pure water flux ( J R /L·m −2 ·h −1 ) after physical cleaning of the membrane.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of ethanol in the coagulation bath on the structure and performance of PVDF‐g‐PEGMA/PVDF membrane

Tang

Sun

et al. 2018

J of Applied Polymer Sci

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This report investigated the effect of ethanol content in the coagulation bath on the surface composition, membrane pore size structure, pure water flux, and permeability of the amphiphilic polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-g-poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA)-modified PVDF membrane. The study found that pore size and their distribution and, as a result, membrane permeability, can also be easily controlled by adjusting ethanol content in the coagulation bath. Membrane water fluxes formed by the coagulation baths with 0, 10, 20, and 30% of ethanol were 1843. 65, 2774.61, 4391.88, and 5142.35 L (m −2 Áh −1 ). When the content of ethanol in the coagulation bath is high, the surface enrichment of PEGMA slightly decreases, and the surface becomes rougher. Thus, the decrease of the hydrophilic functional groups on the surface of the membrane and the increase of the roughness leads to the deterioration of the hydrophilicity of the membranes surface.

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“…In recent years ultrasound has been gaining research into its effectiveness as a pretreatment method to mitigate fouling in RO membranes [73,94,95]. It is an effective alternative to chlorination and UV light [73] for de-agglomerating bacterial clusters through acoustic cavitation,…”

Section: Ultrasoundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Being a free-chemical method, effective in killing and de-clumping several types of bacteria, ultrasound needs more attention for potential large scale application in RO pretreatment. Extensive studies are required for its applicability as a sole pretreatment technique for RO [94]. Nevertheless, combination with other techniques, as stressed by several researchers [73,103], needs to be explored to a greater extent.…”

Section: Ultrasoundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reverse osmosis pretreatment technologies and future trends: A comprehensive review

2019

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Recent progress in reverse osmosis (RO) technology is not limited to RO membrane materials, module designs and RO process optimization. It involves prior feed treatment which directly impacts RO system performance. The ongoing challenges of membrane fouling in RO membranes can be addressed by increasing the operational efficiency through the use of correct pretreatment options which can mitigate organic and inorganic fouling by selectively rejecting contaminants prior to reaching the RO unit. Highly polluted water resources have put critical stress on the existing conventional pretreatment techniques, whereby membrane pretreatment has emerged as a promising alternative. This paper provides an overview of the development and current trends in conventional and nonconventional RO pretreatment techniques whereby the techniques are critically reviewed to 2 inform readers of potential improvements in such areas. This paper addresses the major drawbacks of conventional pretreatment methods which have necessitated the use of membrane pretreatment techniques. Special attention is given to microfiltration, ultrafiltration and nanofiltration methods and their development in terms of advanced membrane materials based on ceramics and self-cleaning membranes. Studies from laboratory scale standalone systems, pilot scale and large scale integrated systems for performance, cost and ecological analysis have been reviewed to familiarize readers with the many factors which need to be analyzed for selection of the appropriate pretreatment method(s). The critical review in this paper will help researchers focus more on the areas which have room for further development for cost-effective and advanced RO pretreatment techniques.

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The use of ultrasound to mitigate membrane fouling in desalination and water treatment

Cited by 142 publications

References 132 publications

Reverse osmosis desalination: A state-of-the-art review

Reverse osmosis desalination: A state-of-the-art review

Effect of ethanol in the coagulation bath on the structure and performance of PVDF‐g‐PEGMA/PVDF membrane

Reverse osmosis pretreatment technologies and future trends: A comprehensive review

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