Membrane contactor/separator for an advanced ozone membrane reactor for treatment of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water

An advanced ozone membrane reactor that synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone gas, membrane contactor for pollutant adsorption and reaction, and membrane separator for clean water production is described. The membrane reactor represents an order of magnitude improvement over traditional semibatch reactor design and is capable of complete conversion of recalcitrant endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water at less than three minutes residence time. Coating the membrane contactor with alumina and hydrotalcite (Mg/Al=3) adsorbs and traps the organics in the reaction zone resulting in 30% increase of total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Large surface area coating that diffuses surface charges from adsorbed polar organic molecules is preferred as it reduces membrane polarization that is detrimental to separation.

Advanced ozone membrane reactor synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone, membrane contactor for sorption and reaction and membrane separator for clean water production to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement in treatment performance compared to traditional ozone reactor.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Novel reactor using membranes for ozone distributor, reaction contactor and water separator.
► Designed to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement over traditional reactor.
► Al2O3 and hydrotalcite coatings capture and trap pollutants giving additional 30% TOC removal.
► High surface area coating prevents polarization and improves membrane separation and life.