[Reducing Membrane Fouling from Micro-Flocculation in a Humic Acid Ultrafiltration Process]

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies
• Membrane Science

Context:

• Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are susceptible to fouling by organic matter.
• Micro-flocculation is a pre-treatment process to mitigate membrane fouling.
• Understanding floc properties is crucial for optimizing UF performance.

Purpose:

• To investigate the impact of floc morphology on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane performance.
• To analyze the relationship between floc characteristics (size, fractal dimension) and membrane fouling.
• To determine optimal conditions for micro-flocculation using aluminum sulfate for enhanced water treatment.

Summary:

• Aluminum sulfate micro-flocculation primarily uses electrical neutralization to remove organic matter.
• Increased flocculant dosage led to larger flocs and decreased fractal dimension.
• Larger flocs and smaller fractal dimensions resulted in lower membrane flux attenuation and improved flux recovery.
• Optimized conditions (5 mg·L⁻¹ Al³⁺, pH 7) achieved 96.7% humic acid removal and 88% flux recovery.

Impact:

• Findings provide insights into controlling floc structure for efficient UF pre-treatment.
• Demonstrates a method to reduce membrane fouling and extend membrane lifespan.
• Offers practical parameters for optimizing water treatment processes involving micro-flocculation and ultrafiltration.