The application of MBR technology in industrial and domestic wastewater treatment is well-established. The major challenge of using MBR for nitrogen removal is to reduce membrane fouling and the corresponding maintenance cost. This obstacle is largely due to the interaction of inorganic and organic foulants with the membrane material. In this study, we compared the fouling behavior of a thin-film nanofibrous composite (TFNC) membrane and a conventional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane using real wastewater samples collected from a treatment plant. Foulant characteristics and their interaction with the membrane surface were explored. Our results showed enhanced flux in the cellulose nanofiber (CNF) coated TFNC membrane compared with the PVDF membrane due to the super hydrophilic nature of the CNF surface. More specifically, the abundant carboxylate groups on the TFNC membrane surface enhance the negative surface charge. When real wastewater was applied to the membrane module, the flux of the CNF-coated TFNC membrane was almost twice that of the PVDF membrane, at both low (45 kPa) and high pressures (75kPa). The results at a constant pressure (45 kPa) showed the CNF-coated TFNC membrane was able to recover the initial flux by 98.5%, 94.5% and 92% after three consecutive mechanical cleaning processes. While the PVDF membrane’s recovery rates were 43.5%, 30.5%, and 27% following the same treatment procedure. The SEM analysis of membranes confirmed a thinner foulant layer on CNF compared with PVDF. The enhanced rejection rate and more facile cleaning of CNF-coated TFNC membrane makes it a promising material to be utilized in membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment.

Enhanced anti-fouling performance in nitrogen removing MBRs using nanocellulose coated membrane

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.