Development of a fluid dynamic gauging method for the characterization of fouling behavior during cross-flow filtration of a wood extraction liquor
Journal article, 2021

A method based on fluid dynamic gauging (FDG) was developed to investigate the membrane fouling behavior of streams containing dissolved wood components and small particles extracted using a mild steam explosion pretreatment. Industrially chipped softwood was subjected to saturated steam at 7 bar for 20 min, followed by cross-flow filtration of steam explosion liquors using 10 kDa polysulfone membranes at 2 bar transmembrane pressure. The results showed a severe decline in permeate flux during the initial stages of the cross-flow filtration. The FDG profiles from five filtration experiments revealed that thicker fouling layers were formed during initial fouling on pristine membranes compared to subsequent fouling on non-pristine membranes. The difference in fouling behavior suggests that cake layer formation was dominant during initial fouling, whereas pore blocking was more pronounced during refouling. This study highlights how FDG can be used to gain a better mechanistic understanding of the fouling behavior of extracted wood components.

Membrane fouling

Fluid dynamic gauging

Wood components

Steam explosion

Cross-flow filtration

Author

Kenneth Gacutno Arandia

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology

Upasna Balyan

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology

Tuve Mattsson

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology

Food and Bioproducts Processing: Transactions of the Institution of of Chemical Engineers, Part C

0960-3085 (ISSN) 1744-3571 (eISSN)

Vol. 128 30-40

Investigation of membrane fouling during cross-flow filtration of wood components

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 2019-04-15 -- 2023-11-15.

Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, 2014-03-01 -- 2019-02-28.

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Energy

Subject Categories

Chemical Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.fbp.2021.04.009

More information

Latest update

5/28/2021