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Oily wastewater treatment by ultrafiltration using Taguchi experimental design
1Research Centre for Membrane Separation Processes, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran, Iran. hamidsalahieng@gmail.com
Summary
This study optimized ultrafiltration (UF) for oily wastewater treatment, finding cross-flow velocity and salt concentration significantly impact permeation flux. The process achieved 85% total organic carbon rejection.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Oily wastewater poses environmental challenges, necessitating efficient separation technologies.
- Ultrafiltration (UF) is a promising membrane process for oil-water separation, but performance can be limited.
- Optimizing UF operating parameters is crucial for effective treatment of API separator effluent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate and optimize the performance of a polymeric ultrafiltration (UF) membrane for separating oil from real oily wastewater.
- To determine the influence of key operating factors on permeation flux (PF) and identify optimal conditions for enhanced UF performance.
- To evaluate the impact of oil concentration on PF and total organic carbon (TOC) rejection.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Taguchi method with an L(16) orthogonal array to study five factors (trans-membrane pressure, temperature, cross-flow velocity, pH, salt concentration) at four levels.
- Employed Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to quantify the contribution of each factor to the permeation flux.
- Conducted experiments to assess the effect of oil concentration on UF performance and TOC rejection.
Main Results:
- Identified optimal operating conditions: trans-membrane pressure (3 bar), temperature (40°C), cross-flow velocity (1.0 m/s), salt concentration (25 g/L), and pH (8).
- Determined that cross-flow velocity was the most significant factor influencing permeation flux, while salt concentration was the least significant.
- Observed that increased cross-flow velocity, trans-membrane pressure, temperature, and pH improved UF membrane performance by enhancing driving force and reducing fouling.
- Achieved a maximum total organic carbon (TOC) rejection rate of 85%.
Conclusions:
- The optimized UF process demonstrates significant potential for effective oil separation from oily wastewater.
- Cross-flow velocity and salt concentration are critical parameters for maximizing permeation flux in UF systems.
- The study provides valuable insights for designing and operating UF membranes for industrial wastewater treatment, achieving high contaminant removal.
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