Characterization of ultrafiltration ceramic membranes with organic markers in textile wastewater industry

Rational and sustainable water use and management is a global challenge caused by limited natural water resources, increased water consumption and stringent legal regulations. Membrane technologies are the first-choice water treatment technologies due to their high separation efficiency, non- destructivity and ecological sustainability. The application of the membrane system is accompanied with membrane blockage because presence of organic, inorganic and biological substances. The consequences of this phenomenon are flux decline and change in separation efficiency of membrane (membrane system), frequent physical-chemical cleaning and thus increased operating and maintenance costs. Membrane active layer defines the flux and separation efficiency and its molecular weight cut-off can be determined by the retention efficiency of the marker solutions, which is proportional to their molecular weight. This paper presents the characterization of commercial ceramic membranes of different pore sizes by separating solutions of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) of various molecular weight. Used membranes are intended for textile wastewater treatment. The results of the separation of the model solutions and mercerization wastewater showed that the membrane with larger pores shows a greater tendency to pore blockag