Influence of membrane properties on fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

The results showed that a hydrophilic asymmetric membrane with an interconnected pore structure, a nominal pore size of 0.3 μm, and large surface porosity of 27%, provided the best membrane performance with respect to critical flux and critical flux for irreversibility. The dominant fouling mechanism in long term filtration experiments was gel layer formation, which for this membrane was the least severe, and therefore extended the sustainable time.