THERMO RESPONSIVE POLYMER TO CLEAN FOULED MEMBRANE AND FLUX RECOVERY IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT USING FORWARD OSMOSIS

Abstract

This study looked at the use of thermo-responsive polymer (TRP) in the cleaning of fouled polyamide-based Forward osmosis membranes. In the realm of membrane separation, smart responsive materials have been receiving growing interest. TRP is a thermo-responsive polymer with interesting anti fouling and self-cleaning capabilities, as reported in this paper. The cleaning tests were carried out in a crossflow forward osmosis (FO) test unit at a laboratory scale. Following that, de-ionized water with polymethyl vinyl ether PVME TRP with low LCST (37 ºC) was used in accelerated organic fouling runs with industrial effluent under varied conditions. The mass transfer of TRP that was entrapped in the fouled lay was discovered to aid in the removal of foulants from the membrane surface, improving cleaning efficiency. In the FO experimental setting of Draw Solution 1 M Sodium chloride and feed solution of pure water, the cleaned membrane showed higher water flow behavior than the fouling membrane. As a result, a thermo-responsive polymer can be utilized to clean a fouled membrane, extending its life and lowering the cost of operating the membrane separation process.