High-efficiency cleaning technology and lifespan prediction for the ceramic membrane treating secondary treated effluent

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 321 - 338
• Main Authors: Lv, Zongwei, Zhang, Shoubin, Jiao, Wenhai, Zuo, Xinyi, Zhang, Yuanyuan, Liu, Yutian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Ceramics; Chemical cleaning; Cleaning; Cleaning agents; Contact angle; Edetic acid; Efficiency; Effluent treatment; Effluents; Electron microscopy; Energy spectra; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acids; Experiments; flat-sheet ceramic membrane; Fouling; Hydroxides; Life span; lifespan prediction; Longevity; membrane fouling; Membrane processes; Membrane reactors; Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Micelles; Nonylphenol; Pollutants; Polyoxyethylene; Pressure gauges; Scanning electron microscopy; secondary treated effluent; Sedimentation & deposition; Sodium; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Sodium hydroxide; Sodium hypochlorite; Sodium lauryl sulfate; Spectrum analysis; Sulfuric acid; Sulphuric acid; Surface roughness; two-step combined chemical cleaning; Wastewater treatment; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.209

Chemical cleaning is one of the key technical means to control membrane fouling, restore membrane flux and ensure the stable operation of membrane systems. In the experiment, the six most representative chemical cleaning agents for ceramic membranes, such as sulfuric acid (H SO ), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-Na ), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (OP-10), were used as research objects. The cleaning effect of the two-step combined cleaning of chemical cleaning agents on the fouled membrane was systematically investigated. Results showed that the order of the chemical cleaning agent had a significant effect on the cleaning effect. The best chemical cleaning program was determined to be NaClO first and then SDS: the fouled ceramic membrane was soaked in NaClO solution at 0.15% for 2.5 h and further soaked in SDS solution at five times its own critical micelle concentration for 2.5 h. The predicted long-term lifespan of the ceramic membranes was 4.91 years. Scanning electron microscopy-energy spectrum analysis showed that the surface roughness of the cleaned ceramic membrane was slightly higher than that of the new membrane. The contact angle was slightly lower than that of the new membrane.