Refinery and petrochemical industries discharge a large amount of effluent and recycling processed water with membrane technology having become the predominant treatment protocol. However, fouling is the primary factor limiting the broader applicability of membrane-based technologies. To better understand membrane fouling, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ultrafiltration membrane was studied for the treatment of the effluent from the biological treatment processes of Dalin refinery and Linyuan petrochemical wastewater treatment plants operated at different food to microorganisms (F/M) ratios. Membrane autopsies were performed based on fouling determination, SEM/EDS and FTIR analysis. Additionally, the characteristics of organic matter from different units were preliminary analyzed. Results showed that organic matter removal for both wastewater treatment plants was similar in each unit; aromatic proteins, SMP, and humic acid were mostly removed in the biological process. In addition, almost all kinds of organic matter were removed after the RO process. The results of continuous operation showed that the PTFE membrane was fouled with a rapid decrease of the flux at the beginning of filtration, indicating that pore constriction was the predominant mechanism at the beginning, coexisting at the end with cake formation. Biopolymers and low molecular weight acid and humic were the most removed organics during filtration, but there was no significant difference between different F/M ratios. Characterization of the fouled membrane revealed that the foulants in the inside surface were mainly carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and fluoride, and a small number of other elements indicated organic substances formed the fouling. The foulants on the outside surface, mainly inorganic elements, were deposited on the membrane and formed a dense cake layer. The results are expected to provide relevant information on predicting and controlling membrane fouling according to the composition and characteristics of organic matter.

Keywords: membrane fouling, F/M ratio, organic matter, ultrafiltration, foulants

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