Effects of Flocculant Concentration and Temperature on the Membrane Separation Process in Microalgal Suspensions

By using different flocculant concentrations and temperatures with a tannin-based flocculant, chitosan, and ferric chloride, the performance of a combined flocculation and membrane separation process in microalgal suspensions was evaluated. Permeate flux experiments were conducted for 30 min, and the effects of the flocculant concentration and temperature were analyzed. The zeta potential of the culture with and without flocculant approached zero with increasing temperature, in favor of microalgal cell agglomeration. At 40 degrees C, crossflow microfiltration showed a 27 % improvement in the permeate flux compared to 20 degrees C. Overall, the results showed a significant potential use of flocculants with increasing temperature, by providing considerably higher permeated fluxes.

Automated summary

Through experiments, it was found that increasing temperature, combined with higher flocculant concentrations, can improve the permeate flux of microalgal suspensions, with the best performance observed at 40 degrees Celsius.