Lecture 4: Membrane Processes Technology

in water treatment (Part I)

Water Treatment Technology

Water Resources Engineering
Civil Engineering
ENGC 6305

Dr. Fahid Rabah PhD. PE.

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 Membrane Processes Technology
1. Definition:
§ Membrane processes are those in
which a membrane is used to filter
through (i.e. permeate) high quality
water while rejecting the passage of
dissolved and suspended solids.
§ A filtration membrane is a physical
boundary over which a solute (TSS
or TDS) can be separated from a
solvent (water) by applying energy
in the form of pressure or electric
potential. SEM Image of Membrane Lumen
§ Figure 4.1 is a cross section in a (AWWA, 1996)
membrane wall, Figure 4.2
Fig. 4.1
illustrates the filtration process.
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 Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes

Membrane

Feed
Permeate

Fig. 4.2 ∆P Particle or Solute Molecule

Solvent

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 Membrane Processes Technology
2. Membrane process types:
§ The main membrane processes used in water treatment are:
A. Microfiltation (MF)
B. Ultrafiltation (UF)
C. Nanofiltration (NF)
D. Reverse Osmosis (RO)
E. Electrodialysis (ED)
§ The classification and comparison between these processes is
Based on many characteristics of each such as 1) The driving
force [hydrostatic or electrical], 2) The separation mechanism,
3) The nominal size of the separation achieved.
§ Tables 4.1, and Figures 4.3 and 4.4 illustrate the difference
between the above mentioned membrane methods.
§ Table 4.2 shows the operating pressures and the materials used
to produce the membranes.
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 Range Ion Removal Molecule Removal Particle Removal

10 100 1000 10,000

Ångstroms 0.001 0.01 0.1 1
Diameter microns

Powdered
Atoms Carbons

Metallic Ions
Pesticides

Sugars Viruses

Size of
Material Dissolved Salts Proteins
Removed Bacteria

Colloidal Material and Emulsions

Dissolved Suspended
Solids Solids

Membrane Reverse Osmosis Ultrafiltration

Fig. 4.3
Filtration
Process Nanofiltration Microfiltration 5

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 Table . 4.1

(Note: nm=10-9 m)

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Table . 4.2

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 Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes

MF UF NF RO

Suspended Solids (Particles)

Fig. 4.4
Macromolecules (Humics)

Multivalent Ions (Hardness)

Water Molecules
Monovalent Ions (Na + ,Cl-)

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 Membrane Processes Technology

3.Membrane Configurations:
The principal types of membranes are:
3.1Tubular Modules:
• In this type the membrane is cast on the inside of a support
tube.
• A number of tubes are then placed in a pressure vessel.
• The feed water is pumped through the feed tube and the product
water is collected on through the skin of the membrane.
• The concentrate continues to flow through the feed tube.
• This type is used for water with high suspended solids content
since it is the easiest to clean. Cleaning can be accomplished
by circulating chemicals and pumping a “ foamball” or “
spongeball”. See Figures 4.5, 4.6

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 Tubular
Tubular
Membrane
Membrane
Module
Module

Support tube

Membrane

Fig. 4.5
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 Tubular
Tubular Membrane
Membrane Module
Module

Fig. 4.6
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 Membrane Processes Technology

3.2 Hollow Fiber :

§ In hollow fiber modules hundreds to thousands of hollow
fibers are bundled together to form a module

§ The entire assembly is inserted into a pressure vessel.

§ The feed water can be applied to the inside of the fiber (inside-
out flow), or the outside of the fiber (outside-in flow).

§ See Figures 4.7, 4.8

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Endview of Hollow Fiber Module

Fig. 4.7

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 Hollow Fiber
module

Fig. 4.8 14

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Fig. 4.9 Hollow Fiber membrane

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 Membrane Processes Technology

3.3 Spiral Wound Modules :

§ In hollow the spiral-Wound membrane, a flexible permeate
spacer is placed between two flat membrane sheets.
§ The membranes are sealed on three sides.
§ The fourth open side is attached to a perforated pipe.
§ A flexible feed spacer is added and the flat sheets are rolled into
tight circular configuration.
§The term spiral is derived from the fact that the flow in the rolled-
up arrangement of membranes and support sheets follows a spiral
flow pattern.
§ The feed water can be applied to the inside of the fiber (inside-
out flow), or the outside of the fiber (outside-in flow).
§ See Figures 4.9 trhogh 4.13

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 Spiral RO Element

Fig. 4.10
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 Fig. 4.11

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 Fig. 4.12
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 Fig. 4.13 Cut-way photo in a Spiral wound membrane module 20

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 Membrane Processes Technology
4. Terminology
The following is a brief description of some of the terms used in
the membrane processes:
§ Feed stream : the influent water to the membrane.
§ Concentrate or Retentate: the portion of the feed water that dose not
pass the membrane that contains higher TDS than the feed stream.
§ Permeate: the portion of the feed stream that passes through the
membrane that contains lower TDS than the feed water.
§ Flux: mass or volume rate transfer the rough the membrane.
§ Solvent: Liquid containing dissolved matter, usually water.
§ Solute: Dissolved matter in raw, feed, permeate and concentrate water.
§ Recovery rate: the ratio between the product water to the feed water.
§ Rejection rate: percent removal of the solute from water.
§ Fouling: deposition of solids on the feed side of the membrane.
§ Filtration mode terms are shown on Figure 4.14.

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 Filtration Mode Terms

Fig. 4.14

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 Membrane Processes Technology

5. Membrane Operation:
5.1 Key factors that directly impact membrane operation
in water treatment:
• Flux
• Fouling
• Rejection rate
• Recovery rate
• Temperature - Viscosity of Water
(Note: Change from 20°C to 4°C results in a ~50% decrease in
production for similar membrane area and pressure)

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 Membrane Processes Technology
5.2 Membrane fouling:
A. Definition:
• It is the deposition and accumulation of solid from the feed water
on the membrane.
• It is an important design and operation membrane as it affects:
- Pretreatment needs
- Cleaning requirements
- Operating conditions
- Cost and performance
B. Forms of Fouling:
• Formation of chemical precipitates “Scaling”.
• Buildup of solids in the feed-water.
• Damage of the membrane due to the reaction between chemicals in
the feed water and the membrane. See Figure 4.15.

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 Membrane Fouling
MF UF NF RO

Fig. 4.15 25

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 Membrane Processes Technology
C. Control of membrane fouling:
There are three approaches are used to control fouling:
1. Pretreatment of the feed water Buildup of solids in the feed-water.
The following are some examples on pretreatment:
- using conventional filtration, microfiltration or ultrafiltrtion.
- disinfecting the feed water to limit the bacterial activity using
either chlorine, ozone or UV.
- removal of iron and manganese to prevent scaling.
- adjusting the pH of the feed water in the range (4 to 7.5) using
sulfuric acid to prevent the formation of calcium carbonate, and using
hexametaphosphate to prevent the formation of calcium sulfate. Other
chemicals called antiscallants are added instead of sulfuric acid.

2. Membrane back-flushing with water.

3. Chemical cleaning of membranes.

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 Membrane Processes Technology
5.3 Disposal of concentrate waste stream “Brine” :
Disposal of the concentrated waste streams produced by
membrane processes represents the major problem in
membrane operations.
The principal methods used for the concentrate disposal:
1. Ocean discharge
2. Surface water discharge
3. Discharge to wastewater collection system.
4. Deep-well injection
5. Evaporation bonds
6. Controlled thermal evaporation

Each disposal option has it’s own use conditions and should be
studied carefully.

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 Membrane Processes Technology

5.4 Infrastructure of membrane processes:

The operation of membrane processes is simple:
• A pump is used to pressurize the feed solution and to
circulate it through the module.
• A valve is used to maintain the pressure of the concentrate
(retentate).
• The permeate is withdrawn typically at atmospheric
pressure.
• See Figure 4.16.
• Units are arranged in parallel to meet the flow requirements,
and arranged in series to increase the treatment efficiency,
see Figures 4.17, 4.18, 4.19,and 4.20 .

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Feed Permeate

Pump

Concentrate

Fig. 4.16 Membrane operation Schematic layout

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Backwash line

Concentrate line

Fig. 4.17
Membrane units arranged in parallel one stage system 30

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 Membrane Processes Technology

Fig. 4.18

Membrane units arranged in parallel and in series in a two stage system

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 Fig. 4.19 32

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 0.1 MGD RO Package System

Fig. 4.20

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 Membrane Processes Technology

6. Membrane applications in water treatment:

• MF can remove suspended solids, turbidity, crypto and
giardia. Not color, virus, or dissolved solids.
• UF can remove color and odor causing organics, virus, and
other microbiological pests. Not dissolved salts.
• RO and NF systems should be used to remove only
dissolved solids - they need VERY clear feed water.
• ED removes IONS from water - it does NOT remove
crypto, giardia, uncharged molecules, suspended solids etc.
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