Functionalization of Polymeric Membranes and Feed Spacers for Fouling Control in Drinking Water Treatment Applications

Electro-Conductive Membranes for Permeation Enhancement and Fouling Mitigation: A Short Review

“…Another important classification divides fouling in abiotic fouling and biofouling. Abiotic fouling is responsible of the formation of a “cake layer” consisting of rejected material, while biofouling is the accumulation of microorganisms onto the surfaces and within the pores of membranes [ 94 ].…”

“…The material accumulated onto surface or within pores may reduce the membrane permeability and results in a general reduction of the permeate flux over time [ 94 ]. For constant pressure operations, where the transmembrane pressure is maintained at a constant value during filtration, fouling causes an increase in filtration resistance, that leads to a flux decline, FD , over time defined as [ 98 ]: where F i and F f are the initial and final fluxes, respectively.…”

“…The characteristics and the position of deposited materials determinate the extent and reversibility of permeate flux decline. A partial restore of permeate flux can be obtained by membrane cleaning (either by hydraulic or chemical methods) in order to remove some/all the accumulated material [ 94 ] ( Figure 5 ).…”

“…Obviously, a highly fouling-resistant membrane requires infrequent cleanings, reduces operating and disposal costs, increases the operational life and provides consistent permeate quality over time [ 94 ].…”

“…Surface modification of commercial membranes by post-treatment is one of the most frequently method to decrease membrane fouling potential [ 106 , 107 ]. Some post-synthesis modifications include [ 94 ]: a decrease in the membrane hydrophobicity, a reduction of the surface roughness, an increase in the membrane selectivity, a modification of the surface charge. …”