Response surface methodology to investigate the effects of operational parameters on membrane fouling and organic matter rejection in hard-shell encased hollow-fiber membrane

The response surface methodology (RSM) was found useful statistical tool for understanding combined effect of filtration, backwashing time and dosage of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) added into backwash water as three operational parameters on transient behavior of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and organic rejection efficiency. Here, encased, hollow-fiber ultrafiltration (UF) system was developed for treating synthetic humic acid (HA) solution. To carry out RSM analysis, experimental matrix was designed by Box-Behnken model. Results showed that the NaOCl dosage for the chemical enhanced backwashing (CEB) as single parameter played most dominant role in fouling mitigation. Effect of hydraulic cleaning by applying the permeate backwashing only without performing the CEB was almost negligible to flush the fouling layer from membrane. Considering two correlated parameters, backwashing time combined with NaOCl dosage was found much more important than combination of other parameter such as filtration time to reduce fouling rate. Regardless of the operational parameters, the organic rejection efficiency was maintained 30% only. The RSM analysis also found that 40.1 min of filtration, 1.1 min of backwashing and 834 mg/L of NaOCl were optimum operating parameters to enhance both permeate recovery and fouling mitigation. [Display omitted] •Hard-shell encased hollow-fiber to control filtration and backwashing was developed.•Quadratic model was obtained by Box Behanken model with operational variations.•Chemical enhanced backwashing (CEB) was dominant to reduce membrane fouling.•TOC rejection was not affected significantly by any operational variations applied.•RSM optimized filtration, backwashing time and chemical dosage for CEB effectively.