Mass transport and colloidal fouling in pressure-driven membrane processes. Considerations in potable water treatment

Pressure-driven membrane processes include reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF). Inherent in all of these membrane separation processes is the accumulation of rejected materials near the membrane surface. In this paper, principles of mass transport in pressure-driven membrane systems are presented within the context of some of the contaminants and applications encountered in potable water treatment. Numerical simulations of mass transport and experimental work aimed at evaluating transport mechanisms for contaminant materials spanning 5 orders of magnitude in size are discussed.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark Wiesner Civil and Environmental Engineering