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Measures to control RO Membrane Fouling in Commercial RO Plants

Measures to control RO Membrane Fouling in Commercial RO Plants

Introduction

Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are used extensively in industrial and municipal water use and treatment facilities for desalination and water purification. Since the late 1970s, and even today, maintaining the productivity of RO plants as continuous water purification systems has been a serious technological issue.

Challenges in RO water productivity

1: The difficulty is exacerbated by the need for water and the high cost of lost output that might come from the poor productivity of RO systems.

2: By the growing water shortages that are lowering the quality of the available raw waters. Reduced Commercial RO plant productivity has a significant negative economic impact on the production of downstream goods like drinks, microelectronics, steam, and power, etc.

3: The loss of RO capacity to filter wastewater at the back end to allow for regulated discharges, which is also needed in the front end to supply high quality process water, might halt production or cause some industrial complexes to cease operating.

With all of these demands, effective operation and maintenance (O&M) of RO plants is crucial.

Measures to control RO Membrane Fouling

Scaling, colloidal fouling and microbiological fouling are the three groups of fouling mechanisms in RO plants. Here is a summary of methods for reducing each sort of fouling.

  • For scale reduction

In the realm of boiling water and cooling water chemistry, the creation and use of antiscalants is well-reviewed and applied to boilers, evaporators, cooling towers and cooling systems. Sub-stoichiometric quantities of anionic polymers, polyphosphates, and organo-phosphorous chemicals, sometimes known as threshold inhibitors and dispersants, are utilized in Commercial RO Plants, often at concentrations between 1 and 5 mg/liter.

The rates of crystallisation from supersaturated solutions are slowed down by binding to the surfaces of developing crystal nuclei and crystal packing orders are altered. The super-saturation of solutes in the water will eventually equilibrate through crystallisation due to this mechanism, however throughout the water’s residence time in the system, there is little to no scale development.

  • To prevent colloidal fouling

The range of potential foulants and the complexity of their interactions with the membrane and with each other in the same water make the work much more difficult. The treatment of industrial waters as well as natural waters places a high priority on the stability and agglomeration of colloidal particles. The development of anti-foulants advances steadily, with better performances.

  • To prevent Bio-fouling

The thin, salt-rejecting polyamide or cellulose acetate barrier membrane must be chemically compatible with the cleaning and sanitizing agents employed in the system, be it a Commercial RO Plant or an Industrial RO Plant. The main issue is preventing the accumulation and exponential growth of the microbes within the system. To achieve this, it is crucial to perform pre-treatment of feedwater, proper upstream unit operation maintenance, continuous water flow through the RO unit, a good monitoring and sanitization programme and the use of preservatives during downtime. Normalized permeate flow and system differential pressure are sensitive bio-fouling indicators.

Conclusion

Scaling and colloidal fouling of membranes are caused by a high rejection of dissolved salts and suspended colloidal particles in RO feedwater. For the RO process to be stable, knowledge of the chemistry of membrane fouling and management techniques, together with careful monitoring during O&M, are essential. Chemical comprehension and control by O&M professionals are challenged by the constant need for maximal water extraction and the decreasing volume of concentrate requiring disposal.

To learn more about our wide range of Commercial RO Plants and their maintenance, call us at +91-9650608473 or send an email to enquiry@netsolwater.com

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