• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.203-211
• /
• 2009

In this study, we used the hybrid module that was composed of granular activated carbons (GAC) packing between module inside and outside of tubular ceramic microfiltration membrane for advanced drinking water treatment. Instead of natural organic matters (NOM) and fine inorganic particles in natural water source, modified solution was prepared with humic acid and kaolin. $N_2$-back-flushing of 10 sec was performed per every period of 10 min to minimize membrane fouling and to improve permeate flux (J). As a result, resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$) decreased and J increased as concentration of humic acid changed from 10 mg/L to 2 mg/L step by step, and finally the highest total permeate volume ($V_T$) could be obtained at 2 mg/L. Then, treatment efficiencies of turbidity and $UV_{254}$ absorbance were excellent above 99.36% and 97.19%, respectively, but that of $UV_{254}$ absorbance for only microfiltration without GAC at 10 mg/L of humic acid was decreased a little as 90.84%.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.21-30
• /
• 2018

In this study, homogeneous and defect-free ceramic ultrafiltration membranes were fabricated by using the sol-gel method. A boehmite sol was synthesized and coated onto the surface of alumina hollow fiber microfiltration membranes. The effect of sol viscosity and surface tension on the coating layer homogeneity and thickness was investigated. The optimum coating repetition using pristine sol was determined to be 3 times, as the samples coated more than 4 times showed delamination. Fixing the coating repetition to 3 times, the effect of sintering temperature was also studied in this work. The samples sintered at $1000^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest pure water permeability with the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of approximately 51 kDa (10 nm dextran), and the samples sintered at 600, $800^{\circ}C$ displayed the MWCO of 12 kDa (5 nm dextran). The ultrafiltration membranes prepared in this work showed competitive performance compared to the reported ceramic ultrafiltration membranes.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.263-272
• /
• 2017

There are several different methods to characterize membrane pore size distribution, however, it is yet difficult to accurately measure pore size range of 10-50 nm. In this work, we employed gas-liquid displacement porometer (GLDP) and liquid-liquid displacement porometer (LLDP) to characterize in-house alumina hollow fiber membrane (K-100) and commercial membranes (A-100, A-20) that exhibit pore sizes between 10-100 nm. GLDP method was more suitable for measuring the maximum pore size, and the measured mean pore size of the membranes by LLDP were better correlated with water permeability and solute rejection. It was determined that LLDP is effective for measuring pore sizes between 10-50 nm; however, the method holds intrinsic disadvantages such as low precision and high sensitivity compared to that of GLDP. Nevertheless, it is expected that the recently commercialized LLDP technique can provide useful data that other methods cannot.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.329-338
• /
• 2004

In this study the discharged wastewater from paper manufacturing plant was filtrated by 4 kinds of tubular ceramic microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes (carbon material) with periodic water-back-flushing, and we tried to find the optimum back-flushing time (BT). As results of water-BT effect for each ceramic membrane, the longer BT was more effective for a membrane having the larger pore size. And we could acquire the most volume of total permeate and the highest recovery efficiency of purified water, Then, the results of permeate flux vs. initial permeate flux during 180 min's operation showed that the longer BT was more effective for longer filtration time (FT) to obtain the higher permeate flux because membrane fouling proceeded deeply at long FT condition. And the optimum BT that founded from the trends of membrane fouling resistances almost accorded with the optimum BT from the trends of permeate flux, too.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.7-18
• /
• 2009

In this study, we used the hybrid module that was composed of granular activated carbons (GAC) packing between module inside and outside of tubular ceramic microfiltration membrane for advanced drinking water treatment. Instead of natural organic matters (NOM) and fine inorganic particles in natural water source, modified solution was prepared with humic acid and kaolin. We were investigated effect of water-back-flushing time (BT) and water-back-flushing period (FT) to minimize membrane fouling and to enhance permeate flux (J) in the hybrid process, and tried to find the optimal operating conditions. As a result, resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$) was slightly decreased according to increasing BT. Also, the shorter FT was the more effective to reduce $R_f$ and to enhance J because of frequent water-back-flushing. However, the optimal BT and FT conditions were 10 sec and 8 min respectively when operating costs were considered. Then, the optimal conditions derived from our experiments of modified solution were applied to lake water treatment. As a result, average treatment efficiencies of turbidity, $UV_{254}$ absorbance, and $COD_{Mn}$ were very high as 99.11%, 91.40% and 89.34%, respectively, but that of TDS was low as 30.05%.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.47 no.2
• /
• pp.190-194
• /
• 2009

In this study sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), which was anionic surfactant, was added for forming micelles to remove iron ion that could be contained with small amount in industrial water. Then aggregates binding between iron ions and micelles were rejected by a ceramic microfiltration membrane. As result of SDS concentration effect on removal rates of iron and SDS in modified iron solution, the removal rate of iron was the highest value of 92.26% and the removal rate of SDS was 61.10% a little higher than the result of calcium ion at 8 mM which was CMC (Critical micelle concentration) of SDS. As final resistance of membrane fouling $R_f$ increased the more at the higher SDS concentration, it showed the highest value at 4 mM and the lowest at 10 mM of SDS. The final permeate flux $J_{180}$ had the highest value and the largest total permeate volume could be finally acquired at SDS 10 mM. In case of CMC 8 mM, low $R_f$ was shown as same as that of 10 mM until 80 minutes of operation, and tended to increase dramatically to 120 minutes and increase slowly again until 180 minutes.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.191-197
• /
• 2008

In this study, we used hybrid module that was composed of packing granular activated carbon (GAC) between module inside and outside of ceramic microfiltration membrane for advanced drinking water treatment. Instead of natural organic matters (NOM) and fine inorganic particles in natural water source, synthetic water was prepared with humic acid and kaolin. Packing fraction of GAC was changed from 0 to 24.05% to see effect of packing fraction. As a result, changing curves of resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$) and permeate flux (J) during 3 h operation were almost overlapped independent of packing fraction of GAC. Treatment efficiencies of turbidity were very high above 99.46% at all packing fractions of GAC. And treatment efficiency of NOM, which was measured by $UV_{254}$ absorbance, was the highest value of 99.43% at packing fraction of 24.05%. Then, we operated the hybrid process during 13 h at packing fraction of 24.05%. As a result, J was rapidly dropped according to increase of membrane fouling within initial 1 h of operation, and almost constant after 3 h. And treatment efficiencies of turbidity and NOM were stable and high values of 99.52% and 96.63%, respectively.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.72-83
• /
• 2011

For advanced drinking water treatment of high turbidity water, we used the hybrid module that was composed of photocatalyst packing between outside of tubular ceramic microfiltration membrane and membrane module inside. Photocatalyst was PP (polypropylene) bead coated $TiO_2$ powder by CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process. Instead of natural organic matters (NOM) and fine inorganic particles in natural water source, modified solution was prepared with humic acid and kaolin. Water-back-flushing of 10 sec was performed per every period of 10 min to minimize membrane fouling. Resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$) decreased and J increased as concentration of humic acid changed from 10 mg/L to 2 mg/L, and finally the highest total permeate volume ($V_T$) could be obtained at 2 mg/L. Then, treatment efficiencies of turbidity and $UV_{254}$ absorbance were above 98.5% and 85.7%, respectively. As results of treatment portions by membrane filtration, photocatalyst adsorption, and photo-oxidation in MF, MF + $TiO_2$, and MF + $TiO_2$ + UV processes, turbidity was treated little by photocatalyst adsorption, and photo-oxidation. However, treatment portions of humic acid by adsorption and photo-oxidation were above 10.7 and 8.6%, respectively.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.8-20
• /
• 2002

In this study using $N_2$-back flushing, which wwas not the general back-flushing method of membranes, the discharged wastewater from a paper plant was filtrated by 4 kinds of tubular carbon ceramic ultrafiltration membranes. We could in vestigate effects of $N_2$-back flushing period, transmembrane pressure (TMP)and flow rate and find optimal operating conditions. The $N_2$-back flushing time (BT) was fixed at 40 sec, filtration times (FT) were changed in 4~32 min, TNP in $1.0~3.0kg_f/cm^2$ the flow celocities in 0.53~1.09cm/s. The optimal conditions were discussed in the viewpoints of dimensionless permeate flux ($J/J_0$), toal permeate volume ($V_T$) and resistance of membrane fouling ($R_f$). Optimal back-flushing period was BT/FT=0.167 (FT=8 min ), in which more $V_T$ was obtained than that in BT/FT=0.083 (FT=4 min) which was the most friquent back-flushing condition. Then rising TMP should increase the driving force, and more $V_T$ could be accumulated. And rising flow rate should decrease membrane fouling increase permeate flux, and more $V_T$could be produced. Average rejection rates of pollutants were higher than 95% for turbidity and 45~83% for $COD_{Cr}$, but rejection rates of total dissolved solid (TDS) were lower than 10%.