ARTIFICIAL PARTICULATE FOULING OF HYPER-FILTRATION MEMBRANES .2. ANALYSIS AND PROTECTION FROM FOULING

An artificial fouling method was used to study the effect of suspended particulates on the performance of standard asymmetric cellulose acetate membranes in flat cells. Using a modified filtration theory developed here, membrane and cake resistances to permeation were individually monitored as a function of applied pressure, membrane curing temperature, and feed type. The membranes behaved according to the solution-diffusion model. A new previously unreported method of membrane protection - the protective cover method - for submicron colloidal solutions, resulted in as high as 78% increased fluxes and 43% decreased salt rejections, over the unprotected membrane. This development is applicable where low salt rejection and high fluxes are desired such as in industrial and municipal wastewater renovation. © 1979.