• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.169-175
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• 2017

This study applied microbubbles to reduce membrane fouling in wastewater reuse membrane processes, evaluated and compared the transmembrane pressure with or without the application of microbubbles and the cleaning efficiency with the application of aeration and microbubbles. In addition, this study analyzed foulants removed from the membrane surface. Changes in the transmembrane pressure of membranes with the presence or absence of microbubbles were observed. As a result, transmembrane pressure (TMP) increasing rate decreased twofold when applying microbubbles to realize stable operations. This study compared and evaluated cleaning efficiency applying aeration and microbubbles. As a result, the cleaning efficiency was 5% higher on average when applying microbubbles. In turbidity and total organic carbon (TOC), foulants were discharged when applying microbubbles twice as much as applying aeration. It is thought that particulate foulants precipitated on the membrane surface were more likely to desorb because the adhesion between the membrane surface and particle was weakened by microbubbles. Therefore, it is considered possible to effectively control membrane fouling because of the increase in cleaning efficiency when applying microbubbles to wastewater reuse membrane processes.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.107-109
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1997.04b
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• pp.56-58
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• 1997

최근 polyolefin계열의 고분자 분리막이 많이 사용되고 있는데 특히 그 중 polypropylene막은 특성상 내약품성 및 내열성이 뛰어나 막 손상이나 성능 저하가 비교적 적은 고분자 막으로 평가되고 있다. 그러나 재질의 소수성 특성 때문에 심각한 fouling을 유발하게 되어 이를 방지하기 위해 막 표면을 hydrophilic agent로 개질 시켜 fouling을 제어하는 기술이 진행되고 있다. 일반적으로 막 재질을 개질 시키기 위하여 sulfonating agents, ozone, 그리고 hydrophilic monomer등을 grafting하는 방법들이 사용되고 있는데, 이는 공정상의 어려움이 있고 완벽한 친수성의 부여를 기대하기가 어렵다. 또한 막 기공 구조의 변화와 붕괴를 초래한다는 단점이 있다. 이밖에 hydrophilizing agent 등을 이용하여 wetting시킴으로써 일시적인 친수화 처리를 하는 방법이 있다. 그러나 이 방법은 membrane matrix로 부터 hydrophilizing agent가 새어 나가므로 영구적으로 사용할 수 없으며, 특히 의료용 분리막으로 이용될 경우 유출된 hydrophilizing agent가 cell membrane을 공격하여 cell 분해와 같은 인체에 해로운 결과를 초래하기 때문에 부적당하다. 최근 들어 저온 plasma를 이용한 표면 개질의 방법이 연구되고 있는데, 이는 plasma가 고분자 물질의 구조나 화학적 반응성과는 상관없이 모든 고분자 물질의 표면을 일정하게 개질 시킬 수 있으며 여타의 다른 방법들과는 달리 막 제조시 residual solvent의 문제점과 swelling의 문제점들이 발생하지 않는 장점 때문에 최근 각광받고 있는 기술 중의 하나이다. 또한 다른 방법에 비해 막과 plasma와의 강한 흡착력 때문에 영구적 친수성을 가지게 할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 저온 plasma를 이용한 표면 개질이 막의 친수성 향상 및 fouling 방지에 미치는 영향에 대하여 조사하였다.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2020

The objectives of this research were the reduction of membrane fouling and improvement of sludge properties by using synthesized H-ZSM-5 and NH₄-ZSM-5 zeolites. These two nano zeolites were synthesized and added to the membrane bioreactor (MBR). Three similar MBRs with the same operational condition were used in order to evaluate their effect on the mentioned matters. The evaluated parameters were trans-membrane pressure (TMP), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size distribution (PSD), soluble microbial product (SMP), extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and, excitation-emission matrix (EEM). The MBR₀ was without any additional zeolite while 0.4 g/L of H-ZSM-5 and NH₄-ZSM-5 were added to MBR_HZSM-5 and MBR_NH4ZSM-5, respectively. The COD removal of the MBR₀, MBR_H-ZSM-5 and MBR_NH4-ZSM-5 were 87.5%, 93.3% and 94.6%, respectively. The TMP of the MBR_H-ZSM-5 was 45% less than MBR₀ whereas the reduction for MBR_NH4-ZSM-5 was 65.5%. Also results showed that both H-ZSM-5 and NH₄-ZSM-5 caused reduction in protein and polysaccharide related EPS but the NH₄-ZSM-5 had better performance toward the elimination of organic compounds.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.272-279
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• 2012

The neutral polymer, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), was coated onto polyamide (PA) thin film composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. And then these membranes were investigated for the model foulants, bovine serum albumin (BSA), humic acid (HA), and sodium alginate (SA) whether there are aome improvement. As the operating pressure increased with 2, 4, 8 atm for BSA, HA and SA 100 ppm in feed solution, the fouling phenomena was worse for both none and PSSA coated membranes. The fouling occurred in the sequence of BSA > HA > SA due to the interactions between PVA snd functional groups of foulants, and on the other hand the fouling reduction was observed in the order of HA > BSA > SA. The observation of scanning electron microscopy photographs showed the same trend. As a result, there should be the improvement of fouling phenomena for the PVA coated RO membranes and the case of HA was shown distinct.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.810-815
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• 2012

The cation exchange polymer, poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA), was coated onto polyamide (PA) thin film composite reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Then these membranes were investigated for the model foulants, bovine serum albumin (BSA), humic acid (HA), and sodium alginate (SA) to check whether there are some improvement. The contact angle of PSSA coated PA RO membrane showed $58^{\circ}$ from $78^{\circ}$, the value of PA RO membrane, which confirmed successful hydrophilization. As the operating pressure increased (2, 4, 8 atm for BSA, HA and SA 100 ppm in feed solution), the fouling phenomena was worse for both none- and PSSA-coated membranes. The fouling increased in the order of BSA>SA>HA due to the interactions between sulfonic acid in PSSA and functional groups of foulants. On the other hand more significant fouling reduction was observed in the order of HA>SA>BSA. The photographs of scanning electron microscopy showed the same trend. As a result, there was the improvement of fouling phenomena for the PSSA coated RO membranes, distinctly in the case of HA.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 2019

The dead-end ultrafiltration (UF) of BSA protein solution was performed to investigate the defouling effects of natural convection instability flow (NCIF) induced in membrane module. The permeate fluxes were measured according to the inclined angles ($0{\sim}180^{\circ}$) of membrane module with respect to gravity, and analyzed using the blocking filtration model. NCIF are more induced as the inclined angles increased from $0^{\circ}$ to $180^{\circ}$, and the induced NCIF enhances flux. Comparing the fluxes at $0^{\circ}$ inclined angle (no NCIF induction) and $180^{\circ}$ (maximum NCIF induction), the flux enhancements by NCIF induction are increased about 5 times in the short-term UF operation (2 hours) and about 17 times in the long-term operation (20 hours). As applying the blocking filtration model, it is more suitable to analyze the flux results by using the intermediate blocking model in the early times of UF operation within 15 minutes and then thereafter times by using the cake filtration model. NCIF induced at $180^{\circ}$ inclined angle reduces the intermediate blocking fouling at about 67% in the early times operation and thereafter the cake layer fouling at about 99.9%. The main defouling mechanism of NCIF induced in the membrane module is suppress the formation of protein cake layer.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.948-954
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• 2008

Membrane bioreactor(MBR) processes have been widely applied to wastewater treatment for last decades due to its excellent capability of solid-liquid separation. However, membrane fouling was considered as a limiting factor in wide application of the MBR process. Excess aeration into membrane surface is a common way to control membrane fouling in most MBR. However, the excessively supplied air is easily dissipated in the reactor, which results in consuming energy and thus, it should be modified for effective control of membrane fouling. In this study, cylindrical tube was introduced to MBR in order to use the supplied air effectively. Membrane fibers were immersed into the cylindrical tube. This makes the supplied air non-dissipated in the reactor so that membrane fouling could be controlled economically. Two different air supplying method was employed and compared each other; nozzle and porous diffuser which were located just beneath the membrane module. Transmembrane pressure(TMP) was monitored as a function of airflow rate, flux, and ratio of the tube area and cross-sectioned area of membrane fibers(A$_m$/A$_t$). Flow rate of air and liquid was regulated to obtain slug flow in the cylindrical tube. With the same flow of air supply, nozzle was more effective for controlling membrane fouling than porous diffuser. Accumulation of sludge was observed in the tube with the nozzle, if the air was not suppled sufficiently. Reduction of membrane fouling was dependent upon the ratio, A$_m$/A$_t$. For diffuser, membrane fouling was minimized when A$_m$/A$_t$ was 0.27, but 0.55 for nozzle.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.479-488
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• 2011

Nanofiltration was performed with polyaluminium chloride solutions at different pH conditions to understand effects of inorganic compounds on aluminum hydrolysis products, i.e., three distinctive groups of aluminum species: polymeric Al at low pH; $Al(OH)_3$ at neutral pH; and ${Al(OH)_4}^-$ at high pH. The PACl solution was prepared to be approximately 4.0mM and adjusted to the designated pH. The influence of inorganic compounds on Al species fouling was investigated with 4.9mM $CaCl_2$ and 3.5mM $MgSO_4$ because $Ca^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Cl^-$, ${SO_4}^{2-}$ are the most common inorganics in the drinking water. NF membrane fouling was measured by flux decline rate. The impact of $CaCl_2$ was not significant on the individual Al hydrolysis products fouling. However, the flux decline rate was drastically changed in the presence of $MgSO_4$. The concentration of particulate matters was considerably increased possibly due to interaction between Al species and ${SO_4}^{2-}$ where $MgSO_4$ was introduced. The particulates were accumulated on the membrane and enhanced the hydraulic resistance of the cake layer. In addition, conductivity removal of the membrane was decreased when Al-hydroxide was dominant due to reduction of membrane surface charge. The rejection of $Ca^{2+}$and $Mg^{2+}$ were considerably different, which implys that composition of inorganics paly a role on conductivity removal.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2016

Performance of pyrophyllite-based ceramic membranes newly developed were investigated. Membrane fouling caused by microbial suspensions taken from a full-scaled MBR system at domestic wastewater treatment plant was observed at different airflow rate and distance between each membrane. For the pyrophyllite support, pore size was about $1.0{\mu}m$, but surface coating with $Al_2O_3$ solution decreased the pore size with the reduction of the pure water permeability. With the MLSS taken from the full-scaled MBR system (6 g/L), the fouling rate was decreased by increasing airflow rate under $20L/m^2{\cdot}hr$ of setpoint flux. However, the effectiveness of the airflow rate on the fouling control depends strongly upon the gap between each membrane. At fixed airflow rate, the fouling rate was decreased by increasing the gap between each pyrophyllite membrane. Nevertheless, further increasing the membrane distance from 3.5 to 5.4 cm resulted in higher fouling rate. Similar result was observed with the $Al_2O_3$ coated-pyrophyllite membrane. Nevertheless, the fouling rate was lower with the coated membrane than that observed with the uncoated pyrophyllite support. Regardless of surface coating, the suspended solids were removed almost completely and the surface coating on the pyrophyllite support improved organic rejection with PEG solution (MW : 8000 kDa) tested.