title: Quantitative assessment of interfacial interactions with rough membrane surface and its implications for membrane selection and fabrication in a MBR.
abstract: The interfacial interactions between a foulant particle and rough membrane surface in a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) were quantitatively assessed by using a new-developed method. It was found that the profile of total interaction versus separation distance was complicated. There were an energy barrier and two negative energy ranges in the profile. Further analysis showed that roughness scale significantly affected the strength and properties of interfacial interactions. It was revealed that there existed a critical range of roughness scale within which the total energy in the separation distance ranged from 0 to several nanometers was continually repulsive. Decrease in foulant size would increase the strength of specific interaction energy, but did not change the existence of a critical roughness scale range. These findings suggested the possibility to "tailor" membrane surface morphology for membrane fouling mitigation, and thus gave significant implications for membrane selection and fabrication in MBRs.
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science Research and Design Institute of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310007, PR China.
authors.forename: Rongwu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Liguo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Linxian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Physics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China. Electronic address: linhonjun@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China. Electronic address: huachang2002@163.com.
authors.forename: Huachang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D057219:Biofouling; D019149:Bioreactors; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010316:Particle Size; D012722:Sewage; D055672:Static Electricity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013500:Surface Tension; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012722:Sewage
keywords: Membrane bioreactor; Membrane fouling; Rough surface; Surface interaction; Wastewater treatment