Membrane cleaning and sanitisation

Cleaning is the removal of foulants and sealants from the membrane element to restore 

Chemical detergents and cleaners solubifrse or disperse the foulants. Chemical cleaning efficiency increases with temperature since the rate of chemical reaction doubles with every 10°C increase in temperature. 

Backflushing is used to remove coUoidal and particulate foulants from hollow fibre and tubular UF/MF membranes. Fouling is minimised and the frequency of chemical cleaning is reduced substantially. The operation is described in Chapter 4. 

Other physical methods include air sparging, vibrations, sonication, and CO2 back-permeation. 

The frequency of cleaning can affect membrane longevity. Hence, the following general 

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