Tech Fact

FILMTEC Membranes
Cleaning Biofouling from FILMTEC FT30 Elements

The following cleaning procedure is designed specifically for a system that has been fouled
with biological matter. Consult the general cleaning instructions for information that is
common to all types of cleaning such as suggested equipment, pH and temperature limits,
and recommended flow rates.

Safety Precautions 1. When using any chemical indicated here in subsequent sections, follow accepted safety
practices. Consult the chemical manufacturer for detailed information about safety,
handling and disposal.
2. When preparing cleaning solutions, ensure that all chemicals are dissolved and well
mixed before circulating the solutions through the elements.
3. It is recommended the elements be flushed with good-quality chlorine-free water (20°C
minimum temperature) after cleaning. Permeate water is recommended; but a
dechlorinated potable supply or pre-filtered feedwater may be used, provided that there
are no corrosion problems in the piping system. Care should be taken to operate initially
at reduced flow and pressure to flush the bulk of the cleaning solution from the elements
before resuming normal operating pressures and flows. Despite this precaution, cleaning
chemicals will be present on the permeate side following cleaning. Therefore, permeate
must be diverted to drain for at least 10 minutes or until the water is clear when starting
up after cleaning.
4. During recirculation of cleaning solutions, the temperatures must not exceed 50°C at pH
2-10, 35°C at pH 1-11, and 30°C at pH 1-12.
5. For elements greater than six inches in diameter, the flow direction during cleaning must
be the same as during normal operation to prevent element telescoping, because the
vessel thrust ring is installed only on the reject end of the vessel. This is also
recommended for smaller elements.

Cleaning There are seven steps in cleaning elements with biofouling.

Procedure
1. Make up the cleaning solution listed from Table 1.

Table 1. Biofouling cleaning solutions

Cleaning solutions Solution

Preferred 0.1% (wt) NaOH
pH 12, 30°C maximum
Preferred 0.1% (wt) NaOH
0.025% (wt) Na-DSS
pH 12, 30°C maximum
Alternative 0.1% (wt) NaOH
1.0% (wt) Na4EDTA
pH 12, 30°C maximum
1. (wt) denotes weight percent of active ingredient.
2. Cleaning chemical symbols in order used: NaOH is sodium hydroxide; Na-DSS is sodium salt of dodecylsulfate;
sodium laurel sulfate; Na4EDTA is the tetra-sodium salt of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and is available from The
Dow Chemical Company under the trademark VERSENE*.

Page 1 of 3 * Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Form No. 609-00300-704

Cleaning 2. Low-flow pumping. Pump mixed, preheated cleaning solution to the vessel at conditions
Procedure (cont.) of low flow rate (about half of that shown in Table 2) and low pressure to displace the
process water. Use only enough pressure to compensate for the pressure drop from
feed to concentrate. The pressure should be low enough that essentially no permeate is
produced. A low pressure minimizes redeposition of dirt on the membrane. Dump the
concentrate, as necessary, to prevent dilution of the cleaning solution.

Table 2. Recommended feed flow rate per pressure vessel during high flow rate
recirculation
Feed pressure1 Element diameter Feed flow rate per pressure vessel
(psig) (bar) (inches) (gpm) (m3/hr)
20 - 60 1.5 - 4.0 2.5 3-5 0.7 - 1.2
20 - 60 1.5 - 4.0 42 8 - 10 1.8 - 2.3
20 - 60 1.5 - 4.0 6 16 - 20 3.6 - 4.5
20 - 60 1.5 - 4.0 8 30 - 40 6.8 - 9.1
20 - 60 1.5 - 4.0 83 35 - 45 8.0 - 10.2
1 Dependent on number of elements in pressure vessel.
2 4-inch full-fit elements should be cleaned at 12 - 14 gpm (2.7 - 3.2 m3/hr).
3 For full-fit elements, 400 and 440 sq. ft. area elements.

3. Recirculate. After the process water is displaced, cleaning solution will be present in the
concentrate stream that can be recycled to the cleaning solution tank. Recycle the
cleaning solution for 15 minutes or until there is no visible color change. If a color
change occurs, dispose of the cleaning solution and prepare a new solution as
described in step 2.
4. Soak. Turn the pump off and allow the elements to soak. Soak the elements for 1-15
hours (soaking overnight will give best results). To maintain temperature during an
extended soak period, use a slow recirculation rate (about 10 percent of that shown in
Table 2). Soak time will vary depending on the severity of the fouling. For lightly fouled
systems, a soak time of 1-2 hours is sufficient.
5. High-flow pumping. Feed the cleaning solution at the rates shown in Table 2 for 45
minutes. The high flow rate flushes out the foulants removed from the membrane
surface by the cleaning. If the elements are heavily fouled, using a flow rate that is 50
percent higher than shown in Table 2 may aid cleaning. At higher flow rates, excessive
pressure drop may be a problem. The maximum recommended pressure drops are 15
psi per element or 50 psi per multi-element vessel, whichever value is more limiting.
6. Flush out. Prefiltered raw water can be used for flushing out the cleaning solution,
unless there will be corrosion problems (e.g., stagnant seawater will corrode stainless
steel piping). To prevent precipitation, the minimum flush out temperature is 20°C. The
system should be flushed for 1 hour.
7. The system should be restarted. Elements and the system need to stabilize before
taking any data. The stabilization period will vary depending on the severity of the
fouling. To regain optimum performance, it may take several cleaning and soak cycles.

Page 2 of 3 * Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Form No. 609-00300-704

Additional By experience, the cleaning solution of Na4EDTA with caustic has been found to be slightly
Information less effective than a standard caustic solution or a solution of caustic and Na-DSS.

For any solution, contact time is critical. Several overnight soaks may be necessary to
restore the system performance.

After the elements are clean it is very beneficial to clean one additional time in order to clean
off the last remaining biofilm layer on the surface of the membrane. Any remaining biofilm
will tend to attract and trap dirt, so an extra cleaning will increase the time between
cleanings.

For industrial systems where the permeate or product water is not used for drinking, a non-
oxidizing biocide can be used prior to step 1 of the cleaning procedure to kill any bacteria or
biofilm in the system. Please refer to separate instructions on methods for sanitizing
membrane systems (i.e., “Sanitization with DBNPA - Tech Facts”). If the only choice for a
sanitizing agent is an oxidant, such as hydrogen peroxide, the system must be cleaned
before sanitization.

FILMTECTM Membranes Note: Recommendations made here are specifically designed for FILMTEC reverse osmosis and nanofiltration elements.
For more information about FILMTEC These recommendations, such as cleaning procedures and chemicals employed, may not be compatible with other brands of
membranes, call the Dow Liquid membrane elements. It is your responsibility to ensure the suitability of our recommendations and procedures if they are applied
Separations business: to membrane elements other than FilmTec products.
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and the information in this document are appropriate for Customer’s use and for ensuring that Customer’s workplace and
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disposal practices are in compliance with applicable laws and other governmental enactments. Seller assumes no obligation or
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liability for the information in this document. NO WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN; ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.

Page 3 of 3 *Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Form No. 609-00300-704