ABSTRACT
Fouling or pore-blocking has been identified as the main reason limiting the adoption of membrane purification processes by many industries. An apt understanding of the pore-blocking mechanisms of membranes is imperative, as it is a pertinent factor dictating the overall performance of the filtration process. Pore blockage can occur in any of the two commonly known membrane operations: constant-pressure and constant-flux rate. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, which are the popular low-pressure membranes (LPMs), were utilized for the filtration of the high-strength wastewater. The hybrid adsorption-membrane system was operated by first conducting the clean water flux tests to ascertain the level of fouling in the LPMs when subjected to wastewater. An investigation of the effect of transmembrane pressures on the permeate flux and the fouling tendency of the feed was conducted on the LPMs. Despite being subjected to feedwater of similar chemistry, the UF membranes were more affected by the foulants contained in the wastewater.
