Effect of solution chemistry on organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes in seawater desalination

Youngbeom Yu; Sangyoup Lee; Seungkwan Hong

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2010.01.051

Effect of solution chemistry on organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes in seawater desalination

Youngbeom Yu, Sangyoup Lee, Seungkwan Hong

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77 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The influence of pH and calcium ion concentrations on the organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated under two distinguished ionic strengths representing surface water (i.e., 10 mM) and seawater conditions (i.e., 600 mM). Variations in flux decline with respect to the feed water pH and calcium concentrations under these ionic environments were compared. Organic foulants deposited on the membrane surface were collected and characterized in terms of specific UVA (SUVA) and fluorescence excitation and emission matrix (FEEM) in conjunction with XAD-8/4 resin fractionation. Flux-decline curves obtained by various feed water pH and calcium concentrations under the low ionic strength condition were quite different with each other, while flux-decline curves obtained at the seawater-level ionic strength was almost identical regardless of variations in the feed water pH and calcium concentration. SUVA and FEEM results showed that the characteristics of organic matters attached on the membrane surface at high ionic strengths were significantly different from those at low ionic strengths. SUVA values and FEEM images indicated that organic foulants at the seawater-level ionic strength were mostly hydrophobic. Consequently, enhanced hydrophobic interaction dominantly controlled the rate and the extent of organic fouling at seawater-level ionic strength where the impacts of feed water pH and calcium were significantly masked.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	205-213
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Membrane Science
Volume	351
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2010.01.051
Publication status	Published - 2010 Apr 1

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) for supporting this study through the Seawater Engineering & Architecture of High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (SEAHERO) program.

Copyright:
Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Organic fouling
RO membranes
SUVA and FEEM
Seawater desalination
Seawater-level ionic strength
pH and calcium effects

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry
General Materials Science
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Filtration and Separation

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10.1016/j.memsci.2010.01.051

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title = "Effect of solution chemistry on organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes in seawater desalination",

abstract = "The influence of pH and calcium ion concentrations on the organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated under two distinguished ionic strengths representing surface water (i.e., 10 mM) and seawater conditions (i.e., 600 mM). Variations in flux decline with respect to the feed water pH and calcium concentrations under these ionic environments were compared. Organic foulants deposited on the membrane surface were collected and characterized in terms of specific UVA (SUVA) and fluorescence excitation and emission matrix (FEEM) in conjunction with XAD-8/4 resin fractionation. Flux-decline curves obtained by various feed water pH and calcium concentrations under the low ionic strength condition were quite different with each other, while flux-decline curves obtained at the seawater-level ionic strength was almost identical regardless of variations in the feed water pH and calcium concentration. SUVA and FEEM results showed that the characteristics of organic matters attached on the membrane surface at high ionic strengths were significantly different from those at low ionic strengths. SUVA values and FEEM images indicated that organic foulants at the seawater-level ionic strength were mostly hydrophobic. Consequently, enhanced hydrophobic interaction dominantly controlled the rate and the extent of organic fouling at seawater-level ionic strength where the impacts of feed water pH and calcium were significantly masked.",

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author = "Youngbeom Yu and Sangyoup Lee and Seungkwan Hong",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) for supporting this study through the Seawater Engineering & Architecture of High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (SEAHERO) program. Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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AU - Yu, Youngbeom

AU - Lee, Sangyoup

AU - Hong, Seungkwan

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) for supporting this study through the Seawater Engineering & Architecture of High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis (SEAHERO) program. Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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N2 - The influence of pH and calcium ion concentrations on the organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated under two distinguished ionic strengths representing surface water (i.e., 10 mM) and seawater conditions (i.e., 600 mM). Variations in flux decline with respect to the feed water pH and calcium concentrations under these ionic environments were compared. Organic foulants deposited on the membrane surface were collected and characterized in terms of specific UVA (SUVA) and fluorescence excitation and emission matrix (FEEM) in conjunction with XAD-8/4 resin fractionation. Flux-decline curves obtained by various feed water pH and calcium concentrations under the low ionic strength condition were quite different with each other, while flux-decline curves obtained at the seawater-level ionic strength was almost identical regardless of variations in the feed water pH and calcium concentration. SUVA and FEEM results showed that the characteristics of organic matters attached on the membrane surface at high ionic strengths were significantly different from those at low ionic strengths. SUVA values and FEEM images indicated that organic foulants at the seawater-level ionic strength were mostly hydrophobic. Consequently, enhanced hydrophobic interaction dominantly controlled the rate and the extent of organic fouling at seawater-level ionic strength where the impacts of feed water pH and calcium were significantly masked.

AB - The influence of pH and calcium ion concentrations on the organic fouling of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was investigated under two distinguished ionic strengths representing surface water (i.e., 10 mM) and seawater conditions (i.e., 600 mM). Variations in flux decline with respect to the feed water pH and calcium concentrations under these ionic environments were compared. Organic foulants deposited on the membrane surface were collected and characterized in terms of specific UVA (SUVA) and fluorescence excitation and emission matrix (FEEM) in conjunction with XAD-8/4 resin fractionation. Flux-decline curves obtained by various feed water pH and calcium concentrations under the low ionic strength condition were quite different with each other, while flux-decline curves obtained at the seawater-level ionic strength was almost identical regardless of variations in the feed water pH and calcium concentration. SUVA and FEEM results showed that the characteristics of organic matters attached on the membrane surface at high ionic strengths were significantly different from those at low ionic strengths. SUVA values and FEEM images indicated that organic foulants at the seawater-level ionic strength were mostly hydrophobic. Consequently, enhanced hydrophobic interaction dominantly controlled the rate and the extent of organic fouling at seawater-level ionic strength where the impacts of feed water pH and calcium were significantly masked.

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KW - SUVA and FEEM

KW - Seawater desalination

KW - Seawater-level ionic strength

KW - pH and calcium effects

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Effect of solution chemistry on organic fouling of reverse osmosis membranes in seawater desalination

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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