In-Situ Ultrasound-Assisted Control of Polymeric Membrane Fouling

Membrane separation processes have been more widely applied to industrial activities, especially in water and wastewater treatment. However, there are still challenges associated to the use of membranes. Concentration polarization and fouling can cause significant permeate flux decay during the filtration process, hindering its efficiency and increasing cost. Among many strategies, the combination of membrane filtration with ultrasound (US) application has shown promising results in reducing membrane fouling. The main goal of this research was to identify the effect of US frequency, US power intensity and feed solution concentration on permeate flux during ultrafiltration of simulated latex paint effluent. Maximum increase in permeate flux of 19.7% was obtained by applying 20 kHz and 0.29 W.cm-2 to feed solution with 0.075 wt.% of solid concentration. The effect of feed flow rate was analyzed showing that an increase in feed flowrate is not beneficial to the fouling minimization process. Overall, the application of US improves permeate flux by reducing fouling of ultrafiltration polymeric membrane.