TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING - DUHOK

Department of Petrochemical Engineering

Summer Training Program

(2019 – 2020)

Third Year

Workshop No.: 2

Workshop Title: Membrane Technology: membrane materials,

. classification ,fouling, fabrication and application

Presenter Name: Dr. Saif Ali Noori Al-Aani

Student Name: soran najeb

Date: 28 / 7 / 2020

Date of Submit : 2 / 8 / 2020

Time of Workshop: 09:00 – 11:00 PM (3 Hours)

 Table of content

1) Introduction

2) Principle of membrane

3) Factors of Membrane affectivity

4) Choosing a Membrane

5) Types of membrane filtration and their application

6) Membrane materials

7) Types of membrane filters made up

8) Membrane fouling

9) Membrane cleaning

10) Costs

11) References
 Introduction
Membrane technology has become a dignified separation technology over the past decennia. Membrane
technology has experienced steady and progressive development for desalination and wastewater treatment.
Because of its advantages, Membrane technology has become an attractive alternative to many
conventionally used techniques. One of the most significant areas of progress in this field is the design of
membranes to heighten separation performance.

The main force of membrane technology is the fact that it works without the addition of chemicals, with a
relatively low energy use and easy and well-arranged process conductions.

Membrane technology is a generic term for a number of different, very characteristic separation processes.
These processes are of the same kind, because in each of them a membrane is used. Membranes are used
more and more often for the creation of process water from groundwater, surface water or wastewater.

Membranes are now competitive for conventional techniques. The membrane separation process is based on
the presence of semi permeable membranes.

The selection of a suitable membrane process and optimization of membrane properties for the identified
application are crucial because they dictate the efficiency of removal as well as the cost incurred during the
process.

Principle of membrane
The principle is quite simple: the membrane acts as a very specific filter that will let water flow through
while it catches suspended solids and other substances.

In another word Membranes occupy through a selective separation wall. Certain substances can pass through
the membrane, while other substances are caught.

There are various methods to enable substances to penetrate a membrane. Examples of these methods are the
applications of high pressure, the maintenance of a concentration gradient on both sides of the membrane and
the introduction of an electric potential.

Membrane filtration can be used as an alternative for flocculation, sediment purification techniques,
adsorption (sand filters and active carbon filters, ion exchangers), extraction and distillation.

Factors of Membrane affectivity

There are two factors that determine the affectivity of a membrane filtration process;

Selectivity is expressed as a parameter called retention or separation factor (expressed by the unit l/m2·h).

Productivity is expressed as a parameter called flux (expressed by the unit l/m2·h).

Selectivity and productivity are membrane-dependent.

 Choosing a Membrane
The choice for a certain kind of membrane system is determined by a great number of aspects, such as costs,
risks of plugging of the membranes, packing density and cleaning opportunities. Membranes are never
applied as one flat plate.

because this large surface often results in high investing costs. That is why systems are built densely to
enable a large membrane surface to be put in the smallest possible volume. Membranes are implemented in
several types of modules There are two main types called :
1- Tubular membrane systems are divided up in tubular, capillary and hollow fiber membranes.
2- frame membranes are divided up in spiral membranes and pillow-shaped membranes.

During membrane filtration processes membrane fouling is inevitable, even with a sufficient pre-treatment.
The types and amounts of fouling are dependent on many different factors, such as feed water quality,
membrane type, membrane materials and process design and control.

Types of membrane filtration and their application

Membrane filtration is a dynamic filtering process. The flow direction of the liquid or gas is here not
vertically through the filter area but horizontally through membranes. By selecting a filter pore size of a
membrane, the fineness of filtration, i.e., the size of the particles to be removed, can be determined.

Microfiltration
The material of the filter surface in microfiltration may be - depending on the application area - made from
plastic, textile fabric or stainless steel. The filter pore size of this technique is > 0.1 µm.
Microfiltration is used, for example, to separate oil-water emulsions, biotechnology applications, or to
separate colloidal oxides or hydroxides.

Ultrafiltration
The filter pore size of ultrafiltration is 0.1 to 0.01 µm. Ultrafiltration is used for such applications as
separating proteins, cold sterilization in the pharmacy, or for metal recovery and wastewater cleaning in the
field of metallurgy.

Nanofiltration
Nanofiltration is a pressure-driven membrane processes. In contrast to reverse osmosis, nanofiltration uses
lower pressures and filters with larger pore sizes. The particle size, which is retained in nanofiltration, is the
size of single and divalent heavy metal ions. Nanofiltration is used, for example, for softening water and the
removal of heavy metals during drinking water treatments.

Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis or also is a pressure-driven membrane process in which pressure reverses the natural
osmosis process.
It is used to treat drinking and process water, aquarium water, to produce fruit juice concentrates, and in the
treatment of wastewater.
 Membrane materials
Most membranes are synthetic organic polymers (e.g. polysulfone, cellulose acetate). Microfiltration and
ultrafiltration membranes are often made from the same materials, but they are prepared under different
membrane formation conditions so that different pore sizes are produced.

Membranes can also be prepared from inorganic materials such as ceramics or metals. Ceramic membranes
are microporous, thermally stable, chemically resistant, and often used for microfiltration.

However, disadvantages such as high cost and mechanical fragility have hindered their widespread use.

Metallic membranes are often made of stainless steel and can be very finely porous. Their main application is
in gas separations, but they can also be used for water filtration at high temperatures or as a membrane
support.

The current tendency on membrane development is to use nanofunctionalised membranes. Polymer

membranes doped with silver nanoparticles to avoid biofouling is an example of such modern membranes

Types of membrane filters made up

There are different types of membrane filters available on the market. Different companies and
manufacturers come up with different products. It's best to learn about the types of membrane filters so that
you know exactly what will suit your needs.

Mixed cellulose esters

These filters include cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate. They're highly porous, pure, and have a quick
wetting time. These are standard membrane filters used for different applications in laboratories such as air
monitoring, contamination analysis, microbiology, and sterilization of biological fluids.

Cellulose acetate
These filters include cellulose diacetate and triacetate. They're sterilizable, have a high strength, and a low
static charge. You can use these membrane filters for applications such as diagnostic cytology, filtering
enzyme solutions, studies which involve receptor binding, and enhanced recovery of gram-positive,
fastidious organisms.

Coated cellulose acetate

These filters include cellulose acetate that's cast onto the polyester support that's non-woven. These
membrane filters have a low static charge matrix along with improved chemical compatibility. Such filters
are typically used as a clarifying prefilter or filter.

Hydrophilic PTFE
These filters have maximum pH and chemical resistance. When wet, they're optically clear, and they will
provide high flow rates. You can use these membrane filters for HPLC and other types of mixtures of organic
and aqueous solvents.

Hydrophobic PTFE
These filters are highly porous, thin, and they behave as absolute retentive membranes. They remain inert
even with strong bases, strong acids, and solvents which are chemically aggressive. You can use these
membrane filters for sterilizing gases, venting gas and air, or for clarifying and sterilizing strong acids or
solvents which aren't compatible with other membrane filters.
Nylon
These are very strong membrane filters which are heat-resistant and inherently hydrophilic. They're also
compatible with alcoholic and aqueous solvents and solutions. You can use these filters for HPLC
preparation of samples, vacuum degassing, and for clarifying and filter sterilizing organic and aqueous
solvent solutions.

Polycarbonate
These are optically translucent and have cylindrical pores which are extremely uniform. They're stable, have
superior chemical resistance, and adequate thermal stability. You can use these membrane filters for
epifluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, light microscopy, and testing of sterility and beverages.

Membrane fouling
Membrane fouling is a process where solute or particles deposit onto a membrane surface or into membrane
pores in a way that degrades the membrane's performance.

It is a major obstacle to the widespread use of this technology. Membrane fouling can cause severe flux
decline and affect the quality of the water produced.

Severe fouling may require intense chemical cleaning or membrane replacement. This increases the operating
costs of a treatment plant.

There are various types of poulants:

colloidal (clays, flocs),
biological (bacteria, fungi),
organic (oils, polyelectrolytes, humics)
scaling (mineral precipitates).

Fouling can be divided into reversible and irreversible fouling based on the attachment strength of particles
to the membrane surface. Reversible fouling can be removed by a strong shear force of backwashing.
Formation of a strong matrix of fouling layer with the solute during a continuous filtration process will result
in reversible fouling being transformed into an irreversible fouling layer. Irreversible fouling is the strong
attachment of particles, which cannot be removed by physical cleaning.

Membrane cleaning
There are a number of cleaning techniques for the removal of membrane fouling. These techniques are
forward flushing, backward flushing, air flushing and chemical cleaning, and any combination of the
methods.
 Costs
Membrane filtration systems’ capital costs, on a basis of dollars per volume of installed treatment capacity,
do not escalate rapidly as plant size decreases. This factor makes membranes quite attractive for small
systems. In addition, for groundwater sources that do not need pretreatment, membrane technologies are
relatively simple to install, and the systems require little more than a feed pump, a cleaning pump, the
membrane modules, and some holding tanks.

References
https://www.lenntech.com/membrane-technology.htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/membrane-technology

https://sswm.info/ar/sswm-university-course/module-6-disaster-situations-planning-and-
preparedness/further-resources-0/membrane-
filtration?fbclid=IwAR237VVNhP0B8slQE9pZ36T_Ed7SFcS0W0oo8Vr0E8S3MXeM3tbPijxwrEc