Characterization and Seawater Filtration Performance of Commerical Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes

Abstract

This paper was to analyze the membrane characterization of hydrophilicity, surface morphology and membrane chemical anlysis of three commercial microfiltration/ultrafiltration membranes, and evaluate the filtration performance of a seawater to assess the availability for pretreatment of desalination process. From the results of contact angle, Mem-3, fabricated with polyacrylonitrile, was highly hydrophilic. It find out that Mem-3 has more anti-biofouling property. In Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Mem-1 (polyethylene) and Mem-2 (Polyvinylidenefluoride) showed the sponge-like shape and Mem-3 showed fingerlike shape. Membrane chemical analysis by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) presented that Mem-2 was mostly fluoride and Mem-3 had s high ratio of N (32.47%) due to the nitrile group. The permeation flowrate per time on suction pressures using deionized water (D.I. water) tends that permeation rate of Mem-3 more increased when the pressure was increased compared to other membranes. From the results of turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) removal, turbidity of permeate was 0.191 NTU to 0.406 NTU and TSS was 2.2 mg/L to 3.0 mg/L in all membranes, indicating that it was not suitable for the pretreatment of seawater desalination by short-term experiments.