• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1273-1284
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• 2000

In this study, ultrafiltration was performed to remove humic acid from aqueous solution. Since the effects of system variables on the ultrafiltration were tangled with non-linearly. Response Surface Methodology(RSM) was used to know optimum conditions of ultrafiltration process, relations among system variables, and the effects of system variables such as pressure difference across the membrane, concentration of humic acid, and feed flow rates. As concentrations of humic acid were 10ppm, 40ppm, and 70ppm in feed stream, permeation fluxes were 2.56, 2.27, and $2.10({\times}10^{-2}cc/cm^2{\cdot}min)$ respectively ; in other words, permeation fluxes of 10ppm, 40ppm and 70ppm feed concentration decreased by 17.7%, 26.7% and 32.2% of pure water permeation flux respectively. Concentration of humic acid in permeate side were 0.5ppm, 1.2 ppm, and 2.1ppm respectively. When pressure difference(${\Delta}P$) increased from 1atm to 2atm and 3atm, permeation fluxes of 40ppm feed concentration increased by 66% and 152% of permeation rate at 1atm respectively. However, concentrations of humic acid in permeate side increased from 0.5ppm to 1.5ppm and 3.5ppm. RSM showed that the optimum condition of system variables is 38.5~40ppm of humic acid concentration in feed stream, 30~30.7cc/min of feed flow rate, and 2atm of pressure difference.