| Durability and Regeneration Potential of Nanocomposite Membranes: A Fouling and Cleaning Cycle Analysis |
| کد مقاله : 1217-ICOC |
| نویسندگان |
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جعفر محمودی *1، Maliheh Maliheh2، نگار محمودی3 1عضو هیات علمی دانشگاه دامغان 2همکار پژوهشی 3دانشجو |
| چکیده مقاله |
| Abstract Enhancing operational stability and mitigating surface fouling are major challenges in applying biodegradable membranes for water treatment. In this study, a pristine polymeric membrane (M1) and a silicate nanoparticle-modified membrane (M2) were evaluated in terms of fouling behavior and flux recovery performance. Experiments involved the assessment of standard fouling indicators, including Flux Recovery Ratio (FRR), Irreversible Fouling Ratio (IFR), Reversible Fouling Ratio (RFR), and Total Fouling Ratio (TFR). Fouling tests were conducted using a pollutant solution at a concentration of 20 mg·L⁻¹. The initial pure water flux (J₀) was recorded, followed by flux measurement in the presence of the pollutant (J₁), and finally, after physical and chemical cleaning, the final flux (J₂) was determined. The fouling indicators were calculated using the following equations: FRR= (J2/J0)×100 IFR= (J0-J2/J0)×100 RFR= (J2-J1/J0)×100 TFR= (J0-J1/J0)×100 Results indicated that the FRR for M1 was 28%, whereas the silicate-modified membrane (M2) exhibited a significantly higher FRR of 76%. Comparison of the membranes revealed that the incorporation of silicate nanoparticles substantially reduced both reversible and irreversible fouling while enhancing flux recovery. The irreversible deposition (IFR) of the pristine membrane was 70.04%, which decreased to 22.79% upon surface modification with silicate nanoparticles, demonstrating the effectiveness of the nanoparticles in preventing irreversible fouling [1]. Surface property analysis showed that the silicate modification increased surface energy, hydrophilicity, and uniformity of surface charge distribution, thereby reducing physical and chemical adsorption of humic acid molecules [2]. The reduced IFR in the modified membrane also indicated diminished strong binding and deep penetration of pollutants into the membrane matrix. Structural analysis further suggested that the presence of nanoparticles prevented excessive compaction of the membrane structure during filtration, improving the stability of operational cycles. Overall, this study demonstrates that the incorporation of an optimal fraction of silicate nanoparticles is an effective strategy for enhancing membrane fouling resistance and operational stability in water treatment processes. This approach can contribute to the development of sustainable membranes with longer service life and lower maintenance costs. |
| کلیدواژه ها |
| Silica nanoparticles, Flux recovery ratio (FRR), Irreversible fouling ratio (IFR) |
| وضعیت: پذیرفته شده |