• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.121-136
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• 2011

A bench-scale test has recently been proposed as a predictive tool to minimize the scope of pilot-scale testing or to optimize the operation of full-scale membrane filtration systems. Consequently, a bench-scale testing unit was developed for this purpose and systematically evaluated in this study. This unit was capable of accommodating commercially available, low pressure, hollow fiber (LPHF) membranes with various configurations for testing under conditions comparable to real-world applications. Reproducibility of this unit in assessing membrane fouling and microbial removal efficiency of LPHF membranes was tested and statistically comparable results were obtained. This unit serves as a useful apparatus for academic researchers and utilities to evaluate the performance of LPHF membranes used for water treatment.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.109-120
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• 2016

Conventional treatment techniques cannot meet the stringent modern water quality regulations emanating from the need to provide high quality drinking water. Therefore, a number of studies have suggested low pressure membrane filtration as a worthwhile alternative. However, a major constraint to the extensive use of this technology in low and middle income countries is the high operating and maintenance costs caused by the inherent predisposition to membrane fouling. Notwithstanding, pretreatment of feed water using techniques such as coagulation, adsorption, oxidation and bio-filtration is believed to control fouling. In this review paper, the existing scientific knowledge on membrane fouling and pretreatment techniques for controlling fouling in low pressure membranes is analyzed with the aim of providing new and valuable insights into such techniques, as well as unveiling crucial issues noteworthy for further studies. Among the techniques reviewed, coagulation was observed to be the most cost-effective and will remain the most dominant in the coming years. Although oxidants and magnetic ion exchange resins can also control fouling, the propensity of oxidants to form health treating precursors and the high economic implications of magnetic ion exchange resins will hinder their adoption in developing countries.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a primary component of fouling in low-pressure membrane filtration, either solely, or in concert with colloidal particles. Various preventive measures to interfere with NOM fouling have been developed and extensively tested, such as coagulation, oxidation, ion exchange, carbon adsorption, and mineral oxide adsorption. Therefore, this article aims to conduct a literature review covering the topics of low-pressure membrane processes, NOM characteristics and fouling behaviors, and diverse fouling control strategies. In-depth explanations and discussion are made regarding why some treatment options are able to remove NOM from source water, but do not reduce fouling. This review provides insight for hybridized membrane processes with respect to NOM removal and fouling mitigation in water treatment.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.117-120
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• 2004

The separation characteristics were investigated with the variations of pressure and temperature using ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis membrane module sets composed of different membrane types and materials. TDS, T-N and COD removal efficiencies were not affected and low with the change of temperature and pressure in case of using UF modules contained in module set 1, 2, 3. TDS, T-N and COD removal efficiencies were very high in RO modules. The final water quality of acrylic wastewater was satisfied within the discharge limit value of plant wastewater. It was known that membrane module sets could be used for the reuse of wastewater.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.161-173
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• 2007

Membrane filtration processes are increasingly popular for drinking water treatment that requires high quality of water. Low pressure membrane(LPM) processes such as microfiltration(MF) and ultrafiltration(UF), however, are ineffective in the removal of dissolved organic matter and also membrane fouling is still an important issue to be resolved. High pressure membranes(HPMs) may guarantee better water quality, but at the high energy consumption. Thus, various approaches to combine LPM processes with other physicochemical methods have been recently made to achieve their efficiency to the level comparable to that of HPM processes. In this work, therefore, hybrid processes that coupled MF/UF with coagulation, adsorption, chemical reactions(e.g., chelation and oxidation) are reviewed regarding system design and performance and also membrane surface modifications conducted by grafting and polyelectrolyte multilayer formation were assessed.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.477-488
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• 2015

This study demonstrates that low pressure membranes are the ideal choice for industrial and/or municipal wastewater treatment by showing some promising experimental results, understanding different membrane filtration models, studying the potential of membrane bioreactors (MBRs), considering ceramic membranes fabrication and illustrating the role of nanotechnology in membranes. Cost study calculations are included to determine the treatment cost as well as the initial cost of various membrane types. Results showed that integrated membranes are preferred over MBR in case of average capacities. However, higher capacity situations are the most economical choice for MBR. It is shown that the least treatment cost in MBR was about $0.13/m^3$. However, the $0.13/m^3$ is the theoretical cost which is very small compared to the actual average MBR treatment cost of $0.5/m^3$.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.331-338
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• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the membrane fouling and sludge characteristics in a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) operated under low temperature ($7^{\circ}C$). To elucidate the mechanisms of membrane fouling at low temperature, we studied the correlation between MBR performances and physicochemical properties of sludge including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), relative hydrophobicity (RH) and floc size during long-term operation. The MBR was shown able to remove chemical oxygen demand (COD) stably and efficiently (>90 %) in the case of overgrowth of filamentous bacteria (bulking sludge) at low temperature. On the other hand, the occurrence of filamentous bulking greatly accelerated membrane fouling, as indicated by membrane filtration period of 14 days for filamentous bulking at $7^{\circ}C$, in comparison with that of 27 days for non-bulking sludge at $24^{\circ}C$ The overgrowth of filamentous bacteria resulting from low-temperature condition led to an increased release of EPS, higher RH, smaller floc size and lower fractal dimension of sludge. These factors accelerated the formation of compact cake layer on membrane surface in association with performance diminution in terms of increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) of the membrane and thus the decrease in membrane permeability.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.27-29
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• 2000

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2014

We report a polysilicon active area membrane field effect transistor (PSAFET) pressure sensor for low stress deflection of membrane. The PSAFET was produced in conventional FET semiconductor fabrication and backside wet etching. The PSAFET located at the front side measured pressure change using 300 nm thin-nitride membrane when a membrane was slightly strained by the small deflection of membrane shape from backside with any physical force. The PSAFET showed high sensitivity around threshold voltage, because threshold voltage variation was composed of fractional function form in sensitivity equation of current variation. When gate voltage was biased close to threshold voltage, a fractional function form had infinite value at $V_{tn}$, which increased the current variation of sensitivity. Threshold voltage effect was dominant right after the PSAFET was turned on. Narrow transistor channel established by small current flow was choked because electron could barely cross drain-source electrodes. When gate voltage was far from threshold voltage, threshold voltage effect converged to zero in fractional form of threshold voltage variations and drain current change was mostly determined by mobility changes. As the PSAFET fabrication was compatible with a polysilicon FET in CMOS fabrication, it could be adapted in low pressure sensor and bio molecular sensor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.285-292
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• 2021

Osmotic power is to produce electric power by using the chemical potential of two flows with the difference of salinity. Water permeates through a semipermeable membrane from a low concentration feed solution to a high concentration draw solution due to osmotic pressure. In a pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process, river water and wastewater are commonly used as low salinity feed solution, whereas seawater and brine from the SWRO plant are employed as draw solution. During the PRO process using wastewater effluent as feed solution, PRO membrane fouling is usually caused by the convective or diffusive transport of PRO which is the most critical step of PRO membrane in order to prevent membrane fouling. The main objective of this study is to assess the PRO membrane fouling reduction by pretreatment to remove organic matter using coagulation-UF membrane process. The experimental results obtained from the pretreatment test showed that the optimum ferric chloride and PAC dosage for removal of organic matter applied for the coagulation and adsorption process was 50 mg/L as FeCl₃ (optimum pH 5.5). Coagulation-UF pretreatment process was higher removal efficiency of organic matter, as also resulting in the substantial improvement of water flux of PRO membrane.