Selective adsorption of natural organic foulants by polysulfone colloids: Effect on ultrafiltration fouling

Liang Chee Koh; Won Young Ahn; Mark M. Clark

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2006.04.030

Selective adsorption of natural organic foulants by polysulfone colloids: Effect on ultrafiltration fouling

Liang Chee Koh, Won Young Ahn, Mark M. Clark^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

The problem of membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is commonly experienced in membrane filtration of natural waters for drinking water treatment. This study continues exploration of a novel pretreatment to reduce membrane fouling using a colloidal polysulfone (PSf) adsorbent that removes compounds that would normally adsorb on membranes [M.M. Clark, W.Y. Ahn, X. Li, N. Sternisha, R.L. Riley, Formation of polysulfone colloids for adsorption of natural organic foulants, Langmuir 21 (2005) 727-7213.]. Pretreatment of high-fouling lake water samples yields continued decrease in adsorptive fouling of 20-kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafilters as the colloid concentration is increased incrementally from 5 to 100 mg/L; it is also shown that kinetics of adsorption of the critical NOM foulant by PSf colloids is quite fast in the water treatment context, occurring within minutes of contact with the water samples. Supporting previous work, measurements of dissolved organic carbon and apparent molecular weight distribution reveal that only a small fraction of the NOM is removed by PSf colloids, hence, only a small fraction of NOM causes fouling. High-pressure size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the foulant has an apparent molecular weight ranging from 20 to 200 kDa. In addition, study of the foulants adsorbed on the colloids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicates the presence of trace amounts of silicon, indicating a role of silicon in NOM adsorption.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	472-479
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Membrane Science
Volume	281
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2006.04.030
State	Published - Sep 15 2006

Funding

This work was supported by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the National Water Research Institute, and the University of Illinois WaterCAMPUS — a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. The student (L.C. Koh) was funded by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore and the comments and views detailed in this research may not reflect the views of PUB. The assistance of Melvin Koh and Scott J. Robinson with some of the experiments is greatly appreciated.

Keywords

Adsorption
Membrane fouling
Natural organic matter
Polysulfone
Pretreatment
Ultrafiltration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry
General Materials Science
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Filtration and Separation

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10.1016/j.memsci.2006.04.030

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title = "Selective adsorption of natural organic foulants by polysulfone colloids: Effect on ultrafiltration fouling",

abstract = "The problem of membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is commonly experienced in membrane filtration of natural waters for drinking water treatment. This study continues exploration of a novel pretreatment to reduce membrane fouling using a colloidal polysulfone (PSf) adsorbent that removes compounds that would normally adsorb on membranes [M.M. Clark, W.Y. Ahn, X. Li, N. Sternisha, R.L. Riley, Formation of polysulfone colloids for adsorption of natural organic foulants, Langmuir 21 (2005) 727-7213.]. Pretreatment of high-fouling lake water samples yields continued decrease in adsorptive fouling of 20-kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafilters as the colloid concentration is increased incrementally from 5 to 100 mg/L; it is also shown that kinetics of adsorption of the critical NOM foulant by PSf colloids is quite fast in the water treatment context, occurring within minutes of contact with the water samples. Supporting previous work, measurements of dissolved organic carbon and apparent molecular weight distribution reveal that only a small fraction of the NOM is removed by PSf colloids, hence, only a small fraction of NOM causes fouling. High-pressure size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the foulant has an apparent molecular weight ranging from 20 to 200 kDa. In addition, study of the foulants adsorbed on the colloids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicates the presence of trace amounts of silicon, indicating a role of silicon in NOM adsorption.",

keywords = "Adsorption, Membrane fouling, Natural organic matter, Polysulfone, Pretreatment, Ultrafiltration",

author = "Koh, {Liang Chee} and Ahn, {Won Young} and Clark, {Mark M.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the National Water Research Institute, and the University of Illinois WaterCAMPUS — a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. The student (L.C. Koh) was funded by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore and the comments and views detailed in this research may not reflect the views of PUB. The assistance of Melvin Koh and Scott J. Robinson with some of the experiments is greatly appreciated. Copyright: Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.memsci.2006.04.030",

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N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the National Water Research Institute, and the University of Illinois WaterCAMPUS — a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. The student (L.C. Koh) was funded by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore and the comments and views detailed in this research may not reflect the views of PUB. The assistance of Melvin Koh and Scott J. Robinson with some of the experiments is greatly appreciated. Copyright: Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2006/9/15

Y1 - 2006/9/15

N2 - The problem of membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is commonly experienced in membrane filtration of natural waters for drinking water treatment. This study continues exploration of a novel pretreatment to reduce membrane fouling using a colloidal polysulfone (PSf) adsorbent that removes compounds that would normally adsorb on membranes [M.M. Clark, W.Y. Ahn, X. Li, N. Sternisha, R.L. Riley, Formation of polysulfone colloids for adsorption of natural organic foulants, Langmuir 21 (2005) 727-7213.]. Pretreatment of high-fouling lake water samples yields continued decrease in adsorptive fouling of 20-kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafilters as the colloid concentration is increased incrementally from 5 to 100 mg/L; it is also shown that kinetics of adsorption of the critical NOM foulant by PSf colloids is quite fast in the water treatment context, occurring within minutes of contact with the water samples. Supporting previous work, measurements of dissolved organic carbon and apparent molecular weight distribution reveal that only a small fraction of the NOM is removed by PSf colloids, hence, only a small fraction of NOM causes fouling. High-pressure size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the foulant has an apparent molecular weight ranging from 20 to 200 kDa. In addition, study of the foulants adsorbed on the colloids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicates the presence of trace amounts of silicon, indicating a role of silicon in NOM adsorption.

AB - The problem of membrane fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is commonly experienced in membrane filtration of natural waters for drinking water treatment. This study continues exploration of a novel pretreatment to reduce membrane fouling using a colloidal polysulfone (PSf) adsorbent that removes compounds that would normally adsorb on membranes [M.M. Clark, W.Y. Ahn, X. Li, N. Sternisha, R.L. Riley, Formation of polysulfone colloids for adsorption of natural organic foulants, Langmuir 21 (2005) 727-7213.]. Pretreatment of high-fouling lake water samples yields continued decrease in adsorptive fouling of 20-kDa molecular weight cut-off ultrafilters as the colloid concentration is increased incrementally from 5 to 100 mg/L; it is also shown that kinetics of adsorption of the critical NOM foulant by PSf colloids is quite fast in the water treatment context, occurring within minutes of contact with the water samples. Supporting previous work, measurements of dissolved organic carbon and apparent molecular weight distribution reveal that only a small fraction of the NOM is removed by PSf colloids, hence, only a small fraction of NOM causes fouling. High-pressure size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the foulant has an apparent molecular weight ranging from 20 to 200 kDa. In addition, study of the foulants adsorbed on the colloids using Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy indicates the presence of trace amounts of silicon, indicating a role of silicon in NOM adsorption.

KW - Adsorption

KW - Membrane fouling

KW - Natural organic matter

KW - Polysulfone

KW - Pretreatment

KW - Ultrafiltration

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DO - 10.1016/j.memsci.2006.04.030

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SN - 0376-7388

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JF - Journal of Membrane Science

IS - 1-2

ER -

Selective adsorption of natural organic foulants by polysulfone colloids: Effect on ultrafiltration fouling

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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