Fouling on ion-exchange membranes: Classification, characterization and strategies of prevention and control

• There are four principle types of ion-exchange membrane fouling such as colloidal, organic, scaling and biofouling
• The fouling exploration includes visualization, determination of composition and characterization of fouled membranes
• The strategies of fouling control are membrane modification and cleaning, pretreatment, and changes of the process regimes

The environmentally friendly ion-exchange membrane (IEM) processes find more and more applications in the modern industries in order to demineralize, concentrate and modify products. Moreover, these processes may be applied for the energy conversion and storage. However, the main drawback of the IEM processes is a formation of fouling, which significantly decreases the process efficiency and increases the process cost. The present review is dedicated to the problematic of IEM fouling phenomena. Firstly, the major types of IEM fouling such as colloidal fouling, organic fouling, scaling and biofouling are discussed along with consideration of the main factors affecting fouling formation and development. Secondly, the review of the possible methods of IEM fouling characterization is provided. This section includes the methods of fouling visualization and characterization as well as methods allowing investigations of characteristics of the fouled IEMs. Eventually, the reader will find the conventional and modern strategies of prevention and control of different fouling types.

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