• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.489-495
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• 2011

Silt Density Index (SDI) has been used as a fouling index for reverse osmosis (RO) processes for decades. In order to decrease RO fouling, feed water should meet SDI standard, which was used to select a proper pretreatment system for RO processes. However, SDI is supposed to be sensitive only to particles larger than 0.45 ${\mu}m$ in terms of diameters while nanoparticles and dissolved organic matter can be potent foulants for RO processes. Our study started from the suspected performance of SDI as a RO fouling index. SDI data from pilot plants located world wide including South Korea were collected and analyzed. Suspended partcle concentration (i.e., turbidity and particle counts), and dissolved organic matter concentration (i.e., dissolved orgnaic carbon (DOC) concentration) data were also collected and compared to SDI values of same water samples. We found that SDI values were not only affected by suspended particle concentration but also by dissolved organic matter concentration. Therefore SDI can be used as a reasonable fouling index for RO feed water because the main foulants for RO processes are suspended particle and dissolved organic matter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.775-780
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate the effect of foulant characteristics on Membrane fouling index such as Silt Density Index (SDI) and Modified Fouling Index (MFI). A linear relationship was found relating the fouling index (both SDI and MFI) on particle concentration, but fouling index values were nonlinearly (exponentially) with increasing organic concentration. When organic matter was the primary cause of fouling, the MFI was not accurately predicted due to internal fouling such as pore adsorption. The fouling index was determined mainly by particle characteristics when both particle and organic coexisted in the feed water. This observation was attributed to lessening of organic pore adsorption by particle cake layer formed on the membrane surface. Bench-scale actual fouling experiments demonstrated that permeate flux declines much faster with feed water containing particles than organic matters although fouling potential predicted by SDI values were identical, indicating that the accurate prediction of fouling potential requires the development of fouling index reflecting different foulant characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.140-144
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate the effect of organic characteristics and feed water solution chemistry on membrane fouling index such as Silt Density Index (SDI) and Modified Fouling Index (MFI). Specifically, Aldrich humic acids (AHA) and Suwannee river humic acids (SHA) were used in SDI/MFI experiments. Higher SDI values were observed with increasing organic concentration. AHA with larger molecular weight (MW) and SUVA (${\approx}UV_{254}/TOC$) resulted in higher SDI values, compared to SHA. The feed solution chemistry (i.e, pH, ionic strength, and hardness) also affects SDI values to some degree. In particular, SDI increased with increasing hardness ($Ca^{2+}$) concentration for AHA. Unlike SDI, the MFI developed on the basis of particle cake filtration theory, was not accurately assessed due to internal fouling by organics such as pore adsorption and subsequent pore blocking.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.632-638
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• 2005

Membrane fouling index such as Silt Density Index (SDI) and Modified Fouling Index (MFI) is an important parameter in design of the integrated RO/NF membrane processes for drinking water treatment. In this study, the effect of particle, membrane and feed water characteristics on membrane fouling index were investigated systematically. Higher fouling index values were observed when filtering suspensions with smaller particle size and higher feed particle concentration. Larger membrane resistance due to smaller pore size resulted in an increased membrane fouling index. The variations of feed water hardness and TDS concentrations did not show any impact on fouling index, suggesting that there were no significant colloidal interactions among particles and thus the porosity of particle cake layer accumulated on the membrane surface could be assumed to be 0.36 according to random packing density. Based on the experimental observations, fundamental membrane fouling index model was developed using Happel Cell. The effect of primary model parameters including particle size ($a_p$), particle concentration ($C_o$), membrane resistance ($R_m$), were accurately assessed without any fitting parameters, and the prediction of membrane fouling index such as MFI exhibited very good agreement with the experimental results.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2009

This study was for the evaluation of adaptability of the fiber filter as the pre-treatment of the RO membrane through SDI (Silt Density Index) measurement. The turbidity of raw waters were $0.76{\sim}1.6$ NTU for the effluent of sewer treatment plants (STP) and $2.2{\sim}3.3$ NTU for sea waters and 100 NTU for the surface water. The turbidity of the $2^{nd}$ filtrate of the serially connected two fiber filters was $0.07{\sim}0.25$ NTU and $SDI_{15}$ was $1.4{\sim}2.8$ when the 17% PAC was dosed $10{\sim}30ppm$. Results of the turbidity and $SDI_{15}$ of the $2^{nd}$ filtrate of the fiber filter which were compared with them of the lab scale MF/UF disc filter for the same STP's effluents showed that filtrate quality were enhanced with a little on the order of two stage fiber filter>MF>UF, the difference in $SDI_{15}$ was only $0.7{\sim}1.0$. So, the filtrate of the serially connected two stage fiber filter could satisfy $SDI_{15}$ 5.0 safely which was normally required for the feed water by the RO membrane supplier and it means the serially connected two stage fiber filter could be applied as the pre-treatment process of the RO membrane.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2010

This study was to evaluate the performance of the Double stage Pore controllable fiber (DP) filter system as the pre-treatment of the RO membrane. The evaluation for the pre-treatment filter was performed through the indirect method, SDI (Silt Density Index) measurement of the filtrate. This study was done during Jan. 3 of 2009 to Dec. 3 of 2009 at OO Water Treatment Plant that was suppling industrial water to plants, and the raw water was contaminated lake water and it was fed to the system after clarification with coagulation. The average turbidity of the feed water and that of the filtrate was 0.79 NTU (0.28~4.01 NTU), and 0.16 NTU (0.04~0.50) respectively. And so the average turbidity removal efficiency was 77%. The filtrate flow rate and the backwash water flow rate was about 230 $m^3$/day and about 8.7 $m^3$/day respectively, and so the backwash rate was 3.8%. The data for some samples were obtained after a few days storage, and it caused the higher turbidity and SDI15 as the storage time was increased. But average SDI value of the filtrate was 3.6 (2.26~5.00) which was lower than minimum value required by the RO membrane manufacturer as the RO feed water to guarantee the life time of the RO membrane. So, the DP filter system was enough for the application as the pre-treatment of the RO membrane.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.253-263
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• 2022

This study suggests a guideline for designing unit process of wastewater reuse in terms of a maintenance of the process based on critical parameters to draw a high quality performance of RO unit. Defining the parameters was done by applying membrane integrity test (MIT) in pretreatment process utilizing lab-scale MF. SDI is utilized for judging whether permeate is suitable to RO unit. However, result said TOC concentration matching with particle count analysis is better for judging the permeate condition. When membrane test pressure (P_test) was measured to derive log removal value in PDT, virgin state of membrane fiber was used to measure dynamic contact angle utilizing surface tension of the membrane fiber. Actually, foulant affects to the state of membrane surface, and it decreases the P_test value along with time elapsed. Consequently, LRV_DIT is also affected by P_test value. Thus, sensitivity of direct integrity test descends with result of P_test value change, so P_test value should be considered not the virgin state of the membrane but its current state. Overall, this study focuses on defining design parameters suitable to MF pretreatment for RO process in wastewater reuse by assessing its impact. Therefore, utilities can acknowledge that the membrane surface condition must be considered when users conduct the direct integrity test so that P_test and other relative parameter used to calculate LRV_DIT are adequately measured.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.200-205
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• 2013

Pretreatment process is the critical step of RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane desalination plant in order to prevent RO membrane fouling. The pretreatment as a key component of RO process must be designed to produce a constant and high quality RO feedwater which has low silt density index (SDI). This experiment was conducted to assess parameters affecting SDI value, such as pH, seawater turbidity, temperature, and coagulant dose. The experimental results indicated that the source seawater turbidity did cause little effects on SDI values of filtered water. The 0.45 um hydrophilic membrane was more appropriate than the hydrophobic membrane for measuring SDI. The SDI value was increased with decreasing pH under the condition of below pH 7.0. In addition, the water temperature significantly affected the SDI values, showing higher SDI value with lower water temperature.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.492-497
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• 2014

This study investigated removal characteristics of organic matters in pretreatment and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane processes for seawater desalination. Also, the influence of the changes in characteristics of organic matters on the membrane fouling was assessed. The pretreatment processes included dual media filtration (DMF), pressurized membrane filtration (MF), and submerged membrane filtration (SMF). Turbidity, UV absorption at 254 nm, dissolved organic carbon, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), fluorescence excitation emission matrix (FEEM), and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in raw and processed waters were analyzed. Ions and minerals were not removed by any pretreatment process tested, but were removed over 99% through the RO membrane process. Hydrophobic organics, which can play major role in organic membrane fouling, were relatively readily removed compared with hydrophilic ones. Membrane based pretreatment such as MF and SMF exhibited better removals of organics than conventional DMF. As the levels of organics in pretreated water decreased, the silt density index (SDI) decreased. MF treated water exhibited the lowest SDI value; this is possibly due to the lowest TEP ($0.1-0.4{\mu}m$) concentrations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.437-446
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• 2019

Reverse osmosis seawater desalination facilities can extend the cleaning cycle and replacement time of the reverse osmosis membrane by pretreatment process. Selection of pretreatment process depends on water quality. It was attempted in this study to select approriate pretreatment process for the Masan bay, which was high in particles and organic content. For this purpose, performances of pretreatment processes such as filter adsorber (FA), pore controllable fiber (PCF), and ultrafiltration (UF) were compared based on the silt density index (SDI). The SDI value of the filtrate should be less than 3. The study results showed that UF can produce the filtrate quality satisfying the requirement. However, the transmembrane pressure (TMP) of UF increased quickly, reaching 0.6 bar within 4 days. In order to secure stable operation, FA and PCF were combined with UF. The study results showed that combination of PCF and UF was able to extend the filtration duration (more than 2 months) until to reach TMP of 0.6 bar.