Precoat for permeability separation systems
AssigneeUniversal Oil Products Company
InventorWilliam Maxwell Conn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Procedures are disclosed for preventing fouling of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration membranes by relatively large molecules and particulate matter. In particular, absorbents are used, with and without finely divided activated carbon, to form a "precoat" on the membrane. The "precoat" is laid down on the membrane at the beginning of a reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration cycle. It is removed at the end of a cycle by flushing, preferably followed by a cleaning. The "precoat" process is applied to the ultrafiltration of raw sewage as a preferred example.
Claims13
In the treatment of raw sewage containing hydrophobic and greasy materials by passage through an ultrafiltration membrane such that there will be fouling of the membrane, the method of operation to preclude fouling thereof which comprises depositing upon said membrane a mixed coating of a solid adsorbent and a solid absorbent in a quantity of about 6 to 60 grams per 1,000 square feet of membrane, and passing through said coating a feed consisting essentially of the raw sewage, prior to contact of said feed with the membrane, to remove the membrane-fouling hydrophobic and greasy materials from said raw sewage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.