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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Synthesis and Microdiffraction at Extreme Pressures and Temperatures
Published on: October 7, 2013
Reversibility of membrane performance and structure changes caused by extreme cold water temperature and elevated
Adrianna Tikka1, Wa Gao2, Baoqiang Liao1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada.
Abstract:
The effects of extreme cold water temperature, elevated cleaning water temperature, cleaning time on membrane performance, and pore size distribution were studied using flat-sheet polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Extreme cold water temperature led to a decrease in membrane permeability, and membrane pore size shrinkage. The use of periodical warm water (35 °C) membrane conditioning could almost completely recover the membrane permeability and pore size structure loss caused by extreme cold water temperature, while the use of room temperature (23±1 °C) conditioning recovered majority of the membrane permeability and structure loss caused by extreme cold water temperature. Changes in membrane performance correlate well with changes in membrane structure. Membranes periodically conditioned in warmer water temperature showed a higher permeability than that periodically conditioned at room temperature from a long-term operation of three months. The results suggest the change in PVDF membrane performance and structure caused by extreme cold water temperature is almost completely reversible after periodical warm water conditioning, and thus the use of warm water conditioning and/or chemical cleaning will benefit the recovery of membrane performance and structure change caused by extreme cold water temperature in cold regions.
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