Optimization of Forward Osmosis for Oil Refinery Effluent Desalination Using Response Surface Methodology

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Oil refinery wastewater poses environmental challenges requiring effective treatment.
• Forward osmosis (FO) is a promising desalination technology for industrial effluents.
• Optimizing FO operational parameters is crucial for efficient wastewater repurposing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize forward osmosis (FO) performance for oil refinery wastewater treatment.
• To investigate the individual and interactive effects of draw solution concentration (DS-C), draw solution flow rate (DS-FR), and feed solution flow rate (FS-FR) on FO efficiency.
• To determine the optimal operating conditions for maximizing permeation flux and ion rejection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM) to study the effects of DS-C, DS-FR, and FS-FR.
• Developed statistical models to predict FO performance based on operating parameters.
• Conducted confirmatory runs at optimized conditions to validate the models.

Main Results:

• Achieved high rejection rates: 94.59% for CO3^2- and 100% for SO4^2-.
• Obtained an average permeation flux of 3.64 L/m^2 h.
• Demonstrated an average recovered permeation flux of 86.01% after membrane cleaning, indicating membrane durability.

Conclusions:

• Response surface methodology (RSM) is a suitable tool for optimizing FO processes in wastewater desalination.
• The optimized FO process effectively treats oil refinery effluent, enabling water repurposing.
• The study highlights the potential for sustainable water management in the oil and gas industry.