Silica removal to prevent silica scaling in reverse osmosis membranes

Al(OH)3 was the most effective precipitant for silica, removing nearly all of the molecularly dissolved silica. However, a residual amount of aluminum remained in solution, and aluminosilicate colloids were not removed. The use of the SBA exchange resin also showed a good performance, removing up to 94% of the silica. However, further investigations, such as checking whether the residual small amounts of silica and aluminum can still cause scaling in the membrane, need to be conducted.