Mitigation of reverse osmosis membrane fouling by coagulation pretreatment to remove silica and transparent exopolymer particles

The dissolution of silica and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) can deposit on the membrane surface and cause serious membrane fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) technology. Coagulation, as a common pretreatment process for RO, can effectively intercept pollutants and alleviate membrane fouling. In this study, FeCl3 and AlCl3 coagulants and polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculants were used to explore the optimal coagulation conditions to reduce the concentration of silica and TEP in the RO process. The results showed that the two coagulants had the best removal effect on pollutants when the pH was 7 and the dosage was 50 mg/L. Considering the proportion of reversible fouling after coagulation, the removal rate of pollutants, and the residual amount of coagulation metal ions, the best PAM dosage was 5 mg/L for FeCl3 and 1 mg/L for AlCl3. After coagulation pretreatment, the Zeta potential decreased, and the particle size distribution increased, making pollutants tend to aggregate, thus effectively removing foulants. The removal mechanisms of pollutants by coagulation pretreatment were determined to be adsorption, electric neutralization and co-precipitation. This study determined the best removal conditions of silica and TEP by coagulation and explored the removal mechanism.

Automated summary

In this study, the optimal coagulation conditions using FeCl3 and AlCl3 coagulants and PAM flocculants to reduce silica and TEP concentration in RO technology were explored. The best removal effect on pollutants was observed at pH 7 with a dosage of 50 mg/L for both coagulants. Additionally, the study determined that the best PAM dosages for FeCl3 and AlCl3 were 5 mg/L and 1 mg/L, respectively, considering the removal rate of pollutants and the residual amount of coagulation metal ions. The removal mechanisms of pollutants by coagulation pretreatment were determined to be adsorption, electric neutralization, and co-precipitation.