INTRODUCTION procedures, and waiting too long to

clean fouled elements.

All pressure driven membrane
separation systems foul over time. The purpose of this bulletin is to
The symptoms of fouling include a describe procedures and products
decrease in normalized permeate that will allow plant operators to
flow, an increase in salt passage, achieve effective cleanings and more
and an increase in differential cost-effective system operation.
pressure. In addition to decreased
system performance, severe fouling FOULANTS
may irreversibly damage membrane
elements and make effective Foulants are divided into five
cleaning difficult or impossible. different classes of material:

Indications that a system clean is ! Metals

required are: ! Scale
! Silt
Cleaning ! a 10 to 15 percent decline in ! Organics
normalised permeate flow ! Chemical foulants
Spiral Wound ! a 10 percent increase in
normalised salt passage Metals: Metal foulants most
Membrane ! a 15 percent increase in frequently include iron, manganese,
differential pressure and aluminum. Less frequently,
Elements metals such as zinc, copper, and
Figure 1 illustrates the importance nickel are encountered. Iron and
Inside this Bulletin: of cleaning effectively. The dotted manganese commonly occur in
lines illustrate cleanings that groundwaters as soluble divalent
effectively restore flux to the ions. Should air or chlorine be
Introduction .……..... 1 original baseline value each time. introduced into these waters, iron
By contrast, ineffective cleanings, and manganese may be oxidized
Foulants..…............. 1 represented by the solid lines, and precipitate onto membrane
restore less and less of the original surfaces as hydrous oxides.
flow.
Packaged Iron fouling may also be the result
vs Generic Cleaners… 2 When cleanings are not effective, of corrosion processes that occur
there is a need to clean much more within well headers or feed piping.
frequently. This results in increased Another source of iron is carryover
Cleaning Equipment.... 2 downtime, reduced element life, and from flocculator/clarifiers or
higher operating costs. Ineffective multimedia filters where iron salts
Cleaning Procedures... 3 cleanings result from the use of are used as coagulants.
ineffective cleaners, poor cleaning
Choosing Cleaners...... 4

Avista Technologies (UK) Ltd.

Waterside House, PO Box 28612
Edinburgh, EH14 5ZL

Telephone: 44 (0) 131 449 6677

Facsimile: 44 (0) 131 449 5599
Email sales@avistatech.co.uk
Web www.avistatech.co.uk

Figure 1 Cleaning Effectiveness and Subsequent Frequency

1
Fouling by hydrous aluminum oxide downstream to the membrane Chelants: sequester heavy metals
is also very common. The usual separation systems, but more such as iron and manganese as well
cause of this type of fouling is frequently it forms insitu through as the components of many scales.
carryover of flocculated solids from the growth of microorganisms on
filtration processes that employ membrane surfaces.
Iron fouling may also be the
aluminum salts as coagulants.
Chemical Foulants: Chemical result of corrosion processes that
Scale: Supersaturation of certain fouling generally results from occur within well headers or feed
sparingly soluble salts can lead to feeding two or more incompatible piping.
scaling of membrane surfaces and chemicals ahead of membrane
feed spacers. The most common separation systems. The most
scale formers are calcium carbonate common example is the Dispersants: disperse colloids and
and the sulphates of calcium, precipitation of polymeric silt components that are not capable
barium, and strontium. Less antiscalants by organic coagulants. of being dissolved by the cleaner.
common scales are silica and
calcium fluoride. Silica scale, when PACKAGED Dispersants and surfactants work in
it does occur, is very troublesome, as VS. GENERIC CLEANERS concert.
it is difficult to remove safely from
membrane elements. Plant operators have the choice of Hydrotropes: are organic
cleaning membrane systems with substances added to some of the
Colloids and Silt: Colloids and silt generic chemicals or commercial Avista products to dissolve targeted
are the most common foulants and cleaning formulations. Generic organic foulant components such as
examples include clays, colloidal cleaners, such as citric acid and bacterial slime.
silica, and bacteria. Colloids are trisodium phosphate, have an
particles less than about one micron Redox Controllers: Several of the
arguable cost advantage. However,
in diameter and do not settle from Avista products contain ingredients
this contrasts with the greater
solution upon standing. Silt particles that raise or lower the oxidation
effectiveness of many commercial
have diameters greater than one potential of the cleaning solution.
cleaners, the time required to mix
micron in diameter and will settle Reducing agents help dissolve iron
generic cleaners, and the chance that
from solution. and manganese. Mild oxidizing
generics may damage membrane
agents help remove organic foulants.
element components (high or low
Organics: Humic and fulvic acids
pH excursions). CLEANING EQUIPMENT
result from the degradation of leaves
and other vegetation and occur In general, good commercial
frequently in surface waters. These Figure 2 shows the equipment
cleaners are more effective than
acids can cause serious membrane needed for cleaning. The cleaning
generic chemicals because they
fouling depending upon their exact tank, made of non-corrosive
contain a "team" of ingredients that
nature and the ionic composition of materials such as reinforced plastic,
work together to remove foulants.
the feedwater and will foul should be sized to hold a volume
Typical Avista Technologies
polyamide to a greater extent than equal to the total volume of water
cleaners contain the following
cellulose acetate membranes. Acids contained in first stage pressure
categories of ingredients.
with higher molecular weights are vessels, cleaning system hoses, and
more serious foulants than those Buffers: maintain the cleaning cartridge filter holder. Fit the tank
with lower weights. Calcium and solution pH in the range necessary with a cover, heating units,
magnesium ions may contribute to for the other ingredients to work at temperature and level controls. If
humic and fulvic acid fouling by their maximum efficiency. Buffers the cleaning tank is not in a well-
binding together anionic groups of also maintain the pH in a range that ventilated area, provide it with an
membranes and acids. is compatible with membranes and exhaust fan.
other element components.
Biologically derived organic Use a 316 stainless steel cleaning
foulants include the slime exuded Surfactants: wet surfaces and enable pump and size it according to the
from bacteria and filamentous fungi the other cleaner components to guidelines set forth in the next
as well as the microorganisms penetrate foulant layers. section. A centrifugal pump is most
themselves. Slime contains both suitable for flexibility. When hoses
polysaccharide and protein Builders: complex with divalent ions connect the cleaning skid with the
components. Slime may originate in such as calcium and magnesium that RO system, they must be of an
the feedwater and be carried may render surfactants inactive. adequate pressure rating and located

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adequate pressure rating and located Flushing: Flush the system with RO There are 60 metres of 3-inch
in a way that kinking does not occur. permeate or DI water prior to and diameter hose used to connect the
Locate return line below the water after cleaning. If two cleaners are cleaning skid with the RO system.
line to reduce splashing and used sequentially, flush the system The cartridge filter housing contains
foaming. with RO permeate or DI water 60 litres of water. Cleaning tank
between the cleanings. volume is set to equal the volume of
Locate a 5 micron filter after the water contained in the hoses,
cleaning pump to remove dislodged Temperature: Clean at the pressure vessels, and cartridge filter
solids that could plug element feed maximum temperature allowed by holder.
passages. Locate a safety strainer the element manufacturer.
upstream of the cleaning pump. Summation of these volumes gives a
Cleaner Quantity: The total volume total of 1824 litres of water needed
Provide appropriate valves to of water in the cleaning loop must to perform a first stage clean.
control system pressure and permit be determined before the amount of Cleaning of the second stage
drainage and flushing of tank and cleaner required is calculated. This requires a minimum volume of 1270
lines. A flow meter is necessary to volume includes water contained in litres.
establish the proper rates through the cleaning tank, pressure vessels,
the pressure vessels. Locate a by- hoses, and cartridge filter housing. (In larger cleaning systems it may be
pass line around the cleaning tank to Volume estimates for pressure more economic to calculate the
help control flowrate and to mix or vessels (containing elements) and cleaning tank minimum operating
dissolve cleaners. hoses are listed in tables 1 and 2, level and add this to the system
respectively. Cartridge filter volume.)
CLEANING PROCEDURES housing volumes may be determined
by contacting the manufacturer. Avista Technologies recommends a
Good cleaning procedures are Table 2 illustrates the calculation of one weight percent cleaner
essential to achieving effective total system volume for a system concentration for light fouling and a
cleans. This section of the cleaning designed in a 4:2 array with six 8- two percent concentration for
bulletin outlines these procedures. inch by 40-inch elements per vessel. moderate to severe fouling. To
For custom cleaning instructions,
please feel free to contact the Avista
Technologies.

Flow and Pressures: Clean one

stage at a time. Recirculate cleaning
solution through each stage for a
minimum of one hour. Flow at the
maximum rate recommended by the
element manufacturer. Use the
guidelines listed in Table 1 if this
rate is not known.

Clean at the minimum pressure

needed to achieve the desired flow
of cleaning solution through the
pressure vessels. Low pressure
minimizes permeation and reduces
the convective force that holds
foulants to membrane surfaces. In
general, do not exceed 4 bar (60 TC Temperature Controller SS Security Screen
PSIG). IH Immersion Heater CF Cartridge Filter
L Level Controller V1 Drain Valve
Dilution Water: Prepare cleaning P Pressure Gauge V2 Recirculation Valve
F Flow Meter
solutions from either RO permeate
or DI water.
Figure 2 Cleaning Equipment

3
prepare a 1% solution, add 10 kg of For polyamide systems we Scale can occur in systems
cleaner per 1000 litres of water. recommend the following operating on either ground or
A 2 % solution requires 20 kg of combinations of cleaners. surface waters:
cleaner added to 1000 litres of
water. RoClean L403 or P303 followed by Calcium carbonate scale: Clean
RoClean P111 or L211. All four with either RoClean L403 or
In the example, the quantity of products are proven effective. RoClean P303.
cleaner needed to make a 2 %
solution for a first stage clean is 2 x For cellulose acetate systems, the Sulphate scale: Use RoClean L811
1824/1000 = 36 kg. Following the following combinations of cleaners on Polyamide elements. Cellulose
cleaning of the first stage, the same are recommended: RoClean L403 or acetate elements benefit from
cleaning solution may be used to P303 followed by RoClean L607 or RoClean L607. For moderate to
clean the second stage provided that P507 severe fouling, an overnight soak is
the pH is still in the recommended recommended.
range, and the solution is not turbid. For heavy fouling, it is sometimes
necessary to soak the system Silica scale: RoClean P112 can be
CHOOSING CLEANERS overnight in the appropriate used to dissolve small amounts of
cleaners. During the soaking silica scale. Try this procedure
Coupled with the need to employ
period, it is helpful to occasionally before discarding silica scaled
proper cleaning procedures, the
"bump" the cleaning pump to agitate elements.
choice of the proper cleaner or
the cleaning solution within the
cleaner combinations is essential.
membrane elements. When
aluminum is absent, a single
Avista Technologies can help you
cleaning may be sufficient.
determine what foulants you are
likely to have from your site data
Ground Waters: often contain The picture on page 1 shows two
and make a chemical
significant concentrations of iron membranes, one heavily fouled
recommendation from this or, carry
and manganese. If air enters the
out a cleaner evaluation study to and the other physically damaged
feedstream, these metals can
provide the optimum selection. during a generic cleaning process
precipitate within the RO system.
Heavy iron fouling may also result where high pressures and the use
Foulants tend to occur in
from the corrosion of steel feed of unbuffered chemicals resulted
combinations based upon the feed
piping.
source and these are described in pH levels outside of the
below: recommended ranges.
Iron or manganese: Clean with
RoClean P703. For heavy fouling,
Surface Water Supplies: contain
an overnight soak may be necessary.
colloids, silt, natural organic matter,
and sometimes iron. Added to this
basic matrix can be aluminum VESSEL FLOW RATES AND VOLUMES
(derived from filtration processes TABLE 1
located upstream of the RO system) Element Diameter, Flowrate per Vessel, Volume,
Inches GPM (m3/hr) (litres per element)
and biofouling. When all of these
components are present in 2.5 x 40” 5 (1) 2
significant amounts, a combination 4 x 40” 10 (2) 7.5
8 x 40” 40 (9) 23
cleaning is recommended.

ESTIMATING TOTAL SYSTEM VOLUME

TABLE 2
Volume in Litres
Vessel Stage 1 Stage 2
Pressure Vessels 4 x 6 x 23 = 552 2 x 6 x 23 = 276
Cleaning Tank 912 636
Hoses 300 300
Filter Holder 60 60

TS - RoClean
Revision 1 - 06/02
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