Mitigate RO Fouling
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Pre-Treatment to Mitigate RO Fouling
High Recovery & Extended Membrane Life
Challenges with RO
Do you happen to be experiencing any of the following issues? If so, it’s imperative to recognize their magnitude as they can pose significant problems.
RO membrane bio-fouling and membrane tear
Frequent membrane replacements
Reduced recovery and a high MEE load / ATFD Load
Increased membrane operating pressure
Needs frequent chemical cleaning / CIP
Compounding silica & hardness in downstream stages
Increased Cost of RO Operations
What Causes Fouling of RO Membrane
Here’s an illuminating insight into the primary contributing factors which cause fouling of the RO membranes.
- Presence of organics / Sticky polymeric precipitates in feed water stream
- Other inorganic precipitates
- Residual COD & other micro-pollutants being fed to RO
Excessive chemicals‘ dosage increases the ORP and frequent CIP reduces the life of the membranes
Excess flocculating polymers from prior treatment
Cationic polymers when mixed with anionic anti-scale chemicals
TSS / Suspended particles not pre-filtered
Presence of silt, clay, silica / sand as suspended particles
High mineral content- Calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates causing increased hardness in the feed water
Fats, Oil & Grease traces
Iron and rust with other metallic impurities
Odour and Colour in the feed effluent
Presence of live micro-organisms- Bacteria, pathogens, viruses etc.
Current Fouling Control Methods
The present industry approaches to address and mitigate fouling in RO (reverse osmosis) membranes are worth examining.
– Media Filtration (MGF, DMF, PSF / ACF )
– Cartridge Filtration (MCF)
– Micro Filtration (MF), Nanofiltration (NF) and Ultrafiltration (UF)
These methods come with certain limitations as they cannot completely remove micro-organisms, is less effective with dissolved organics, and need frequent maintenance.
The Solution
Boson Alchemies EHO process- By means of oxidation using electricity, we turn the stable colloids into unstable colloidal particles, partially or completely neutralizing the charge around the particle surface allowing them to come together (Van der Waals forces) and agglomerate into larger particles.
This oxidation process causes precipitation reactions and releases the hydroxyl ions which attach to the surface of the particles causing them to agglomerate into larger particles and precipitate. Now these larger particles can settle as well as can be filtered before feeding to the RO.
Boson Alchemies EHO Process- Increase RO Recovery
The EHO process is a water treatment technique designed to mitigate scaling & biofouling in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Its mechanism of action involves reducing the levels of organic and inorganic contaminants present in the feedwater. This innovative approach is incredibly cost-effective and has proven to be an efficient control technique for RO fouling. The benefits of utilizing the EHO process are evident as it results in considerable savings in the operating costs of downstream MEE and ATFD, making it an excellent return on investment.mcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Ultra-Compact / Modular Unit
Our EHO unit modules have an ultra-low footprint requirement, ranging from 12 sq.m for 50 KLD installations to 24 sq.m for 600 KLD installations. Boson Alchemies EHO Process- Increase RO Recovery In summary, Boson Alchemies EHO process can be a valuable pre-treatment method for RO systems to reduce scaling & biofouling by oxidizing & removing contaminants and microorganisms, improving water quality, and decreasing the reliance on chemical treatments. Its application should be carefully evaluated and optimized for each specific water treatment scenario to achieve the desired results.