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© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. M. Gothandam et al. (eds.), Environmental Biotechnology Vol. 3,
Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World 50,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48973-1_6
Chapter 6
Fouling and Wetting: A Major Challenge
for Membrane Distillation
Saikat Sinha Ray, Chinmoy Kanti Deb, Hau-Ming Chang, Shiao-Shing Chen,
and Mahesh Ganesapillai
Saikat Sinha Ray and Chinmoy Kanti Deb contributed equally with all other contributors.
S. S. Ray · H.-M. Chang · S.-S. Chen (*)
Institute of Environmental Engineering and Management, National Taipei University
of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
e-mail: f10919@ntut.edu.tw
C. K. Deb
Department of Soil Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
M. Ganesapillai (*)
School of Chemical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
Contents
6.1 Introduction
163
6.2 Membrane Fouling Phenomena in Membrane Distillation
166
6.2.1 Pore Clogging
167
6.2.2 Cake Layer Formation
168
6.2.3 Particulate or Colloidal Fouling
171
6.2.4 Organic Fouling and Biofouling
171
6.2.5 Scaling Phenomenon
172
6.3 Mechanism of Wetting in Membrane Distillation
174
6.3.1 Degree of Wetting
174
6.3.2 Wetting Causes
175
6.4 Minimization of Fouling and Wetting in Membrane Distillation Process
176
6.4.1 Selection of Key Parameters of Membrane Properties
177
6.4.2 Thermal Condition in Membrane Distillation Operation
181
6.4.3 Role of Dissolved Gases in Membrane Distillation Performance
181
6.4.4 Superhydrophobic Membranes for Preventing Wetting
181
6.4.5 Alternative Techniques
182
6.5 Conclusion
185
References
186