Ultrafiltration with intermittent relaxation using colloidal silica and humic acid as model foulants

Crossflow microfiltration and ultrafiltration are widely used in membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment and applications in the food, biotechnology and process industries. Membrane fouling is an endemic problem in these operations that can be mitigated by backwashing and intermittent relaxation of the pressure or flux. Intermittent relaxation offers advantages relative to backwashing since it does not alter the membrane morphology or...