Suitability of cationic flocculants for RO membranes performance improvement

AbstractAs it has already been published and demonstrated, one of the main causes of membranes failures is related to a poor plant pretreatment. Data from more than 600 autopsies demonstrated that both biofilm and colloidal matter are the most common components on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane fouling; therefore, main lack on membrane pretreatment is related to disinfection and small size of the particles. The main deficiency in membrane pretreatment is related to the dosing of chemicals such as biocides, and flocculants, which are the only tool for membrane pretreatment improvement. Although on previous papers, cationic flocculants effectiveness was already proved, there is still a reluctance to use these kinds of products on RO pretreatments. Genesys Membrane Products laboratories has broad experience on the optimization of cationic flocculants use which proves the effectiveness of these products for RO pretreatment with no risk for the membranes. This paper will demonstrate the compatibility of some ca...