Surface fouling industrial

The subsequent improvement of the physical and chemical characteristics of these membranes, their incorporation into machines, and the development of procedures to prevent or clean surface-fouling films were the principal areas of significant advancement. By 1990, the industrial ultrafiltration market had grown to an estimated (90-100) x 10 . ... 

Lower chemical reactivity with non-target molecules is useful for another performance-related reason. Microorganisms prefer the protection and luxuriant environment in biofilms (the adherent microbial communities that cause detrimental surface-fouling effects in water cooling systems). Most (>99%) of the viable microorganisms in industrial systems are found in biofilms, not floating around freely in the bulk recirculating water. Compared to unstabilized chlorine or bromine, STABREX more effectively removes and disinfects biofilms as shown in Table 6. 

Fouling of the pH sensor may occur in solutions containing surface-active constituents that coat the electrode surface and may result in sluggish response and drift of the pH reading. Prolonged measurements in blood, sludges, and various industrial process materials and wastes can cause such drift. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the membrane mechanically or chemically at intervals that are consistent with the magnitude of the effect and the precision of the results requited. 

RO membrane performance in the utility industry is a function of two major factors the membrane material and the configuration of the membrane module. Most utility applications use either spiral-wound or hollow-fiber elements. Hollow-fiber elements are particularly prone to fouling and, once fouled, are hard to clean. Thus, applications that employ these fibers require a great deal of pretreatment to remove all suspended and colloidal material in the feed stream. Spiral-wound modules (refer to Figure 50), due to their relative resistance to fouling, have a broader range of applications. A major advantage of the hollow-fiber modules, however, is the fact that they can pack 5000 ft of surface area in a 1 ft volume, while a spiral wound module can only contain 300 ftVff. 

Bannayan, M. A., Fouling Mechanisms and Effect of Process Conditions on Deposit Formation in H-Oil Equipment, in Catalysts in Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Industries, 1996. Kuwait, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, Elsevier. 100 pp. 273-281. 

Many of the conservation measures require detailed process analysis plus optimization. For example, the efficient firing of fuel (category 1) is extremely important in all applications. For any rate of fuel combustion, a theoretical quantity of air (for complete combustion to carbon dioxide and water vapor) exists under which the most efficient combustion occurs. Reduction of the amount of air available leads to incomplete combustion and a rapid decrease in efficiency. In addition, carbon particles may be formed that can lead to accelerated fouling of heater tube surfaces. To allow for small variations in fuel composition and flow rate and in the air flow rates that inevitably occur in industrial practice, it is usually desirable to aim for operation with a small amount of excess air, say 5 to 10 percent, above the theoretical amount for complete combustion. Too much excess air, however, leads to increased sensible heat losses through the stack gas. 

WATER TREATMENT (Boiler). One of the most critical and exacting requirements for pretreating water prior to industrial use is found in connection with the operation of modem boilers. Many of the basic principles of water treatment are encountered for this application.1 The advantages of modern boilers can be realized to the fullest only if proper attention is given to water treatment. No boiler can operate efficiently or dependably if its heat-transfer surfaces arc allowed to foul with scale or if corrosion is peimitted to occur. 

Electrodes which are selective to ions other than H are commonly available. These are called specific ion or plon sensors and are listed in Table 6.12. Major difficulties with pH and plon sensors are non-linearity, noise and sensitivity. Fouling of the probe can also be troublesome and many industrial instruments employing these principles are provided with the means of cleaning electrode surfaces ultrasonicaily. 

The processes of interest are NFand RO where the membranes are either nanoporous or essentially nonporous. In these processes the fouling is a surface layer, the effects of which maybe exacerbated by the high retention of solutes by the membrane. Operation is with crossflow and in industry fixed flux is commonly used. This section considers particulate fouling, biofouling and scale formation and then discusses the implications of cake enhanced concentration polarization on fouling outcomes. 

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