Meeting world's most stringent Hg criterion: a pilot-study for the treatment of oil refinery wastewater using an ultrafiltration membrane process.
A membrane ultrafiltration (UF) technology was tested using an oil refinery's end-of-pipe effluent to demonstrate the proof of concept, i.e. can the Great Lakes Initiative criterion of less than 1.3 ppt be consistently met at the pilot-scale, and to provide the data necessary for preliminary full-scale process design. This study presents the successful pilot test conducted with continuous but varying feed conditions over a protracted period. The UF membrane process consistently provided a constant permeate quality at all tested operating conditions, virtually independent of the feed water characteristics and the feed Hg concentration (0.5-22.7 ppt). The treatment target of less than 1.3 ppt of Hg was met and exceeded for all tested conditions during the pilot study. Turbidity measurements were <0.5 NTU (with a MDL of 0.5 NTU) 85% of the time and <0.16 NTU 95% of the time when analyzed on-line. The TMP values were below the specification of (negative) 7-12 psi at all tested conditions during the pilot-study. Weekly maintenance cleans and monthly clean in place (CIP) events were very effective in consistently restoring the membrane permeability during the pilot-study.
Argonne National Laboratory, Energy Systems Division, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA. demirtasmu@anl.gov
Meltem
M
Urgun-Demirtas
M Cristina
MC
Negri
Patricia S
PS
Gillenwater
A G Agwu
AG
Nnanna
Jinsong
J
Yu
D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000379:methods; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008628:Mercury; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical