Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

An Investigation Of Size Exclusion And Diffusion Controlled Membrane Fouling, Colin Michael Hobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The reduction of membrane productivity (i.e. membrane fouling) during operation occurs in virtually all membrane applications. Membrane fouling originates from the method by which membranes operate: contaminants are rejected by the membrane and retained on the feed side of the membrane while treated water passes through the membrane. The accumulation of these contaminants on the feed side of the membrane results in increased operating pressures, increased backwashing frequencies, increased chemical cleaning frequencies, and increased membrane replacement frequencies. The most significant practical implication of membrane fouling is increased operating and maintenance costs. As such, membrane fouling must be properly managed to …