3.2.2. VEDCMD membrane cleaning
One of the objectives of the study was to investigate the ease
by which the scale layers could be removed from the membrane
surface. The membranes were chemically cleaned with Na2EDTA
solution after their water flux dropped below 5 L/(m2 h). Brine A
was used as the feed in these experiments because it scaled the
membrane more rapidly than brine B (Fig. 3). Also, in order to
expedite scale formation, experiments were conducted with a temperature
difference of 40 ◦C instead of 20 ◦C.
Water flux and batch recovery before and after membrane cleaning
are shown in Fig. 5a and b for the PTFE and PP membranes,
respectively. The PP membrane was included in the cleaning experiments
to compare its fouling tendency and chemical resistance
with the PTFE membrane. The performance of the PTFE membrane
(Fig. 5a) was different before and after cleaning. The initial water
flux after cleaning was the same as the initial flux before cleaning,
except that after cleaning there was an immediate onset of flux
decline. This suggests that the majority of scale was removed from
the membrane following cleaning, thus restoring water flux to its
initial level [34]; however, the residual scale that did remain on the
membrane most likely provided sites for crystallization, leading to
more rapid scale formation and earlier onset of flux decline after
cleaning. The performance of the PP membrane (Fig. 5b) was similar
before and after cleaning. This implies that scale deposit on the
PP membranes is less strongly adhered to the membrane and can
be removed using a simple cleaning method.
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