Effect of -backflushing Time in Carbon Ceramic UF & MF System for Paper Wastewater Treatment

The wastewater discharged from a paper plant was filtrated by 3 kinds of tubular carbon ceramic UF and MF membranes with $N_2$-backflushing. The filtration time (FT) was fixed at 8 min or 16 min, and $N_2$-backflushing time (BT) was changed in 0${\~}$60 sec. The optimal condition was discussed in the viewpoints of total permeate volume ($V_T$), dimensionless permeate flux (J/Jo) and resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$). In the viewpoints of $V_T$, J/Jo and $R_f$, the optimal $N_2$-BT was 40 sec at both FT for M9 (MWCO: 300,000 Daltons) and C005 ($0.05{\mu}m$) membranes. However, for C010 ($0.1{\mu}m$) it was 10 sec at FT=8 min, and 20 sec at FT=16 min in the viewpoints of J/Jo and $R_f$, and 5 sec at both FT in the viewpoints of $V_T$. It means that the short $N_2$-BT could reduce the membrane fouling and recover the permeate flux sufficiently for MF membrane having a large pore size as C010. Average rejection rates of pollutants were higher than $99.0\%$ for turbidity and $22.8{\~}59.6\%$ for $COD_{cr}$, but rejection rates of total dissolved solid (TDS) were lower than $8.9\%$. Therefore, the low turbidity water purified in our system could be reused for paper process.