Issue 1, 2021

Application of liquid-infused membranes to mitigate biofouling

Abstract

Among different types of membrane fouling, biofouling is a critical issue which can significantly reduce the process productivity. If the initial phase of the microorganism attachment to the pore wall is prevented, a remarkable reduction in biofilm formation can be obtained. A novel approach to achieve this goal is the infusion of the porous membrane with an infusion liquid (oil) forming liquid-infused membranes (LIMs). It has been shown that the pore wall during permeation is still covered with the infusion liquid forming so-called liquid-lined pores. The liquid-lining can enhance anti-biofouling performance by preventing direct contact between the microorganisms and pore wall. Here, we investigate the capability of LIMs in mitigation of biofouling by conducting long-term cross-flow filtration experiments at constant flow rate for approximately 10–20 days. The results show significantly lower increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP) values for LIMs compared to non-infused counterparts (dry membranes). The bacterial growth curves are further investigated by fitting a sigmoidal function (logistic model). Approximately 4 times increase in the lag period λ and 7 times decrease in the bacterial growth rate μm are observed for LIMs compared to dry membranes revealing improved anti-biofouling performance of LIMs.

Graphical abstract: Application of liquid-infused membranes to mitigate biofouling

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Marts 2020
Accepted
16 Sept. 2020
First published
17 Sept. 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021,7, 68-77

Application of liquid-infused membranes to mitigate biofouling

H. Bazyar, L. Xu, H. J. de Vries, S. Porada and R. G. H. Lammertink, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021, 7, 68 DOI: 10.1039/D0EW00203H

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