Membrane Processes for Remediating Water from Sugar Production By-Product Stream.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Sugar industry wastewater presents environmental challenges due to high dissolved solids and organic matter.
• Conventional treatment methods like evaporation are energy-intensive and inefficient for removing fine impurities.
• Sustainable alternatives are needed for water reclamation and resource recovery from industrial effluents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate membrane-based separation as a sustainable alternative for sugar industry wastewater treatment.
• To compare direct reverse osmosis (RO) with an integrated ultrafiltration (UF)-RO process for water and sugar recovery.
• To assess membrane fouling mitigation and permeate quality in different membrane configurations.

Main Methods:

• Lab-scale cross-flow filtration experiments were conducted at 70 °C to inhibit microbial growth.
• Direct RO of raw effluent was compared against a UF (5 kDa)-RO integrated process.
• Membrane fouling mechanisms were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

Main Results:

• Direct RO led to rapid membrane fouling.
• The integrated UF-RO process significantly mitigated fouling, enabling 28% water recovery and 79% sugar recovery.
• Permeate conductivity was maintained below 0.5 mS/cm, with stable flux and reduced membrane blocking.

Conclusions:

• Ultrafiltration pre-treatment is crucial for effective RO application in sugar industry wastewater.
• The UF-RO process offers a sustainable and efficient solution for water reclamation and sugar recovery.
• This approach addresses environmental concerns and regulatory challenges associated with sugar industry effluents.