When questions about declining membrane performance are at hand, a membrane autopsy may be required. A membrane autopsy includes multiple specific tests on the membranes. Each test provides specific scientific data to identify and quantify fouling/scaling, or chemical/mechanical damage. At BEAM the membrane autopsies can identify the mechanism as to how the membrane failed, the type of fouling/scaling on the membrane surface, the presence of chemical or mechanical damage that has occurred during operation. At BEAM we also can recommend steps to take to resolve the issues. We use a destructive autopsy procedure to analyze the membrane itself. The results of the different tests are then compiled by experienced chemists and engineers to draw a conclusion. Conclusions drawn from the acquired autopsy data can help identify the cause of the problem, leading to solutions that can decrease or eliminate operational issues.
Membrane autopsies are essential to every membrane plant. They can be performed on high pressure membranes like reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF), or on low pressure membranes such as microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF). Performing autopsies on pre-treatment cartridge filters, or even SDI filters can also provide very useful information about contaminants entering the membrane system. If not measured and controlled, fouling and scaling will lead to higher operational costs that potential could result in:
- higher energy demand,
- increased cleanings, and
- reduced lifetime of the membrane elements.
Chemical and physical damage to a membrane surface result in irreversible loss of performance, thus identifying the problem at an early stage can help save millions of Rands in membranes before excessive damage renders them inadequate.
When to do an Autopsy
Manufacturing plants should apply membrane autopsies as part of their routine system maintenance program. This affords the advantage of identifying any potential problems before they become unmanageable. However, in most cases, a membrane autopsy is only performed when a membrane is failing or underperforming. A noticeable loss in flow, permeate quality or visible fouling/detectable biofilm on the membrane itself would indicate a problem with the unit and the need to have it inspected.
Why Conduct an Autopsy?
- To identify scaling or fouling problems
- To identify chemical/mechanical damage
- To determine mechanism as to how the membrane failed
- To determine the proper cleaning regimen
- To improve system performance