Effect of coagulation pretreatment on the fouling of ultrafiltration membrane.

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter (NOM). A relatively higher molecular weight (MW) of hydrophobic compounds was responsible for a rapid decline in the ultrafiltration flux. Coagulation could effectively remove the hydrophobic organics, resulting in the increase of flux. It was found that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds, which could remove inadequately by coagulation, was responsible for the slow declining flux. The fluxes in the filtration of coagulated water and supernatant water were compared and the results showed that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds remained in the supernatant water after coagulation could be rejected by a membrane, resulting in fouling. It was also found that the coagulated flocs could absorb neutral hydrophilic compounds effectively. Therefore, with the coagulated flocs formed on the membrane surface, the flux decline could be improved.

[Effect of coagulation on preventing membrane from fouling].

In this experiment, the effects on improve of flux and prevention of membrane from fouling is studied. The results demonstrate that after backwashing, the flux was completely recovered by addition of 4mg/L and l0mg/L(as Al), while the flux was only 40% of initial flux without coagulation pretreatment. It is also observed that whether or not prevention of fouling by coagulation are depended on the characteristics of cake layer formed on membrane surface during membrane filtration. In the presence of filtration of coagulation floc suspension, coagulation can form cake layer on membrane surface, thus prevent membrane from fouling effectively, while in the presence of filtration of supernatant, fouling are occurred due to cake layer comprising small, neutral, hydrophilic compounds, which can not remove by backwash.