2021 年 54 巻 8 号 p. 431-437
Conventional seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes have been used to treat industrial wastewater with high-salinity and organic contamination. However, SWRO membranes present challenges in the treatment of wastewater containing high concentrations of organics. A new low-fouling, high-pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO) membrane minimizes the adsorption of organic contaminants on the membrane surface, thereby restraining the fouling rate. This study compares HPRO and SWRO membranes by measuring their surface zeta potential and contact angle. The results showed that the HPRO membrane has a neutrally charged surface and a smaller water contact angle than the SWRO membrane. A membrane fouling test was used to measure the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the membrane surface. The test results indicated lower adsorption on the HPRO membrane than on the SWRO membrane surface. Finally, a comparison test between the two membranes was performed at a tannery wastewater plant. The HPRO membrane showed a 10% higher permeate flow and required a 50% lower maintenance cleaning frequency than the SWRO membrane during five months of operation.
