PROCESS FOR CLEANING SURFACE OF TUBULAR PERMEABLE MEMBRANE

PURPOSE:To restore permeability of a membrane to almost 100% without fear for injuring the membrane by moving a friction bead attached to the tip end of an elastic bar to back and fro in a tubular permeable membrane by the operation of the bar. CONSTITUTION:A cleaning jig B provided with a friction bead 42 made of a sponge ball, etc. attached to a tip end of an elastic bar 41 such as nylon rod, etc. is used for cleaning. For the cleaning of a tubular permeable membrane 2, the membrane is cleaned in the first stage by filling a chemical liquid in the membrane 2, then the membrane module A is separated from a connecting pipe, and a friction bead 42 of the cleaning jig B is inserted into the membrane 2 and moved back and forth by the operation of the bar 41. Contaminating deposits on the inside surface of the membrane which has been swelled by the cleaning of the chemical liquid are stripped off and removed by the rubbing cleaning effect generated between the membrane surface and the friction bead.