Development of a chemical-free technology for control of membrane biofouling

In this study, feasibility and the effectiveness of microbubbles as a form of chemical-free technology for control of membrane biofouling was investigated. Experiments were designed to evaluate the removal efficiency of biofilms developed on membrane surfaces with microbubbles. Results showed that microbubbles raised the treatment efficiency significantly for control of membrane biofouling as compared to conventional chemical methods. This study was also to investigate the effects of ionic strength of the solutions in which the microbubbles reside in. A general trend of weaker ionic strength contributed to higher removal efficiency of fixed biomass of the membranes was noted. This phenomenon was attributed to the interactions of the ions present in the solutions and the zeta potential of the microbubbles. A lower ionic strength resulted in the microbubbles having a more negative zeta potential. These negative zeta potentials enhanced the destruction of the biofilm present on the membranes due to stronger repulsive forces existing between the negatively charged microbubbles. Such discovery could be beneficial for future studies of determining the optimal conditions of microbubbles in potential applications of microbubbles as an anti-foulant in the water industry.Bachelor of Engineerin