ABSTRACT

Membrane lifetime and permeate productivity are mainly exaggerated by concentration polarization and fouling at the membrane surface. As a result of membrane fouling, membrane resistance increases with time due to accumulation of foulants on membrane surface and/or inside the membrane. The main concerns of fouling are an increase in flux decline, permeate quality deterioration, and energy consumption. Since operating costs of ceramic membrane are highly dependent on a membrane’s useful life, fouling control is essential for increasing membrane operational life and thus decreasing economics of the process. This chapter elaborates different methods utilized to clean ceramic membranes to overcome all these aforesaid problems, based on three different techniques: physical, chemical, and physiochemical techniques.