Response surface methodology to optimize membrane cleaning in nanofiltration of kraft black liquor
Battestini-Vives, Mariona LU ; Xiao, Xiao LU ; Lipnizki, Frank LU
and Rudolph-Schöpping, Gregor
LU
(2025)
In Separation and Purification Technology
354.
- Abstract
Better understanding of membrane fouling and cleaning can help implementation of membrane filtration processes in the pulp and paper industry. The aim of this study was to optimize membrane cleaning in the nanofiltration of kraft black liquor ultrafiltered permeate for the recovery of lignin. This work wants to assess whether the cleaning process removes the main foulants; as well as the economic viability of the optimized cleaning compared to a standard cleaning in a nanofiltration membrane plant on industrial scale. The optimization of membrane cleaning was investigated using the response surface methodology. The factors studied were time, temperature, and cleaning agent (Ultrasil 110) concentration, and flux recovery was used to... (More)
Better understanding of membrane fouling and cleaning can help implementation of membrane filtration processes in the pulp and paper industry. The aim of this study was to optimize membrane cleaning in the nanofiltration of kraft black liquor ultrafiltered permeate for the recovery of lignin. This work wants to assess whether the cleaning process removes the main foulants; as well as the economic viability of the optimized cleaning compared to a standard cleaning in a nanofiltration membrane plant on industrial scale. The optimization of membrane cleaning was investigated using the response surface methodology. The factors studied were time, temperature, and cleaning agent (Ultrasil 110) concentration, and flux recovery was used to evaluate the success of cleaning. Experiments were performed on laboratory scale where flat-sheet polymeric membranes were fouled with kraft black liquor ultrafiltered permeate and cleaned using various combinations of the three factors. The model developed predicted a flux recovery of 88 % when cleaning was performed for 60 min with a solution of 0.8 wt% Ultrasil 110 at 40 °C. The flux recovery measured experimentally with these cleaning parameters was 80 %. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the optimized cleaning removed the main foulants from the membrane surface. Moreover, increasing the cleaning agent concentration or the cleaning temperature did not always lead to a higher flux recovery. The techno-economic evaluation revealed that 16 % of the cleaning costs could be saved by optimizing the cleaning process.
(Less)
- author
- Battestini-Vives, Mariona
LU
; Xiao, Xiao
LU
; Lipnizki, Frank
LU
and Rudolph-Schöpping, Gregor
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-02
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Kraft black liquor, Membrane cleaning, Nanofiltration, Response surface methodology
- in
- Separation and Purification Technology
- volume
- 354
- article number
- 128626
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85197571730
- ISSN
- 1383-5866
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128626
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0e8e4c11-2d2e-4759-b6c4-94f0b62a4e73
- date added to LUP
- 2024-08-26 11:40:52
- date last changed
- 2024-09-09 12:53:45
@article{0e8e4c11-2d2e-4759-b6c4-94f0b62a4e73,
abstract = {{<p>Better understanding of membrane fouling and cleaning can help implementation of membrane filtration processes in the pulp and paper industry. The aim of this study was to optimize membrane cleaning in the nanofiltration of kraft black liquor ultrafiltered permeate for the recovery of lignin. This work wants to assess whether the cleaning process removes the main foulants; as well as the economic viability of the optimized cleaning compared to a standard cleaning in a nanofiltration membrane plant on industrial scale. The optimization of membrane cleaning was investigated using the response surface methodology. The factors studied were time, temperature, and cleaning agent (Ultrasil 110) concentration, and flux recovery was used to evaluate the success of cleaning. Experiments were performed on laboratory scale where flat-sheet polymeric membranes were fouled with kraft black liquor ultrafiltered permeate and cleaned using various combinations of the three factors. The model developed predicted a flux recovery of 88 % when cleaning was performed for 60 min with a solution of 0.8 wt% Ultrasil 110 at 40 °C. The flux recovery measured experimentally with these cleaning parameters was 80 %. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the optimized cleaning removed the main foulants from the membrane surface. Moreover, increasing the cleaning agent concentration or the cleaning temperature did not always lead to a higher flux recovery. The techno-economic evaluation revealed that 16 % of the cleaning costs could be saved by optimizing the cleaning process.</p>}},
author = {{Battestini-Vives, Mariona and Xiao, Xiao and Lipnizki, Frank and Rudolph-Schöpping, Gregor}},
issn = {{1383-5866}},
keywords = {{Kraft black liquor; Membrane cleaning; Nanofiltration; Response surface methodology}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Separation and Purification Technology}},
title = {{Response surface methodology to optimize membrane cleaning in nanofiltration of kraft black liquor}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128626}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.seppur.2024.128626}},
volume = {{354}},
year = {{2025}},
}