Recycling of spent RO membranes: review of research status and progress

doi:10.16085/j.issn.1000-6613.2020-0906

Abstract

Abstract:

With the widespread application of reverse osmosis (RO) technology in water treatment, millions of spent RO membrane modules are disposed as ordinary waste every year, resulting in environmental pollution and resource waste. This review systematically summarizes the possible recycling schemes of spent RO membranes and gives related application cases. Then, in order to compare the environmental impact of different recycling methods, it summarizes the research progress of evaluating the environment benefit and material input of different recycling methods by means of full life cycle analysis (LCA). The results show that the recycling of spent RO membrane is one of the end treatment methods of RO membrane, which includes the direct use of the spent RO membrane after cleaning as a new one, chemical transformation into other porous membrane material, and dismantling and cleaning RO membrane. In addition, the LCA in membrane technology still mainly focuses on evaluating the use process, while that on other key processes such as membrane design, membrane modification and membrane recovery is rare.

Key words: recovery, separation, reverse osmosis, life cycle assessment

摘要：

随着反渗透（RO）技术在水处理领域的广泛应用，全球每年有数百万计的废旧RO膜组件作为垃圾被处理处置，由此造成了环境污染与资源浪费。本文首先综述了废旧RO膜可能的循环再利用方案和相关的应用案例，为了比较不同循环方式对环境的影响，概述了通过全生命周期分析（LCA）的方法评价不同循环利用方式的环境效益和物质投入的研究进展。文章指出研究结果表明：回收利用废旧RO膜是研究RO膜末端处理的方法之一，其中包括通过使用清洗后的RO膜作为新生RO膜直接再利用、通过化学转化为其他多孔膜材料再循环使用、通过清洗RO膜拆解回收RO膜。另外，LCA在膜工艺中的分析仍以评估使用过程为主，而缺少在膜设计、膜改造和膜回收等关键过程的分析研究。

关键词: 回收, 分离, 反渗透, 生命周期评价

CLC Number:

X705

DAI Danyang, CHEN Yichen, ZHU Wenzhe, SHI Lei, CHENG Rong, ZHENG Xiang, LI Jie. Recycling of spent RO membranes: review of research status and progress[J]. Chemical Industry and Engineering Progress, 2021, 40(4): 2290-2297.

代丹阳, 陈逸琛, 祝文哲, 石磊, 程荣, 郑祥, 李洁. 废旧反渗透膜循环再利用研究现状与进展[J]. 化工进展, 2021, 40(4): 2290-2297.

Figures/Tables 4

References 51

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污染类型	化学清洗方案
无机污染
CaCO₃、MgCO₃	碳酸盐化合物的结垢主要导致RO膜脱盐率下降，适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、柠檬酸、磷酸、氢氧化铵、乙二胺四乙酸二钠（EDTA）
CaSO₄、BaSO₄、CaF₂	硫酸盐化合物的结垢通常不溶于多数清洗剂，因此要清洗更具挑战性。适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、磷酸、硫酸、氢氧化钠、亚硫酸氢钠、氢氧化铵、三聚磷酸钠
CaPO₄	表面活性剂和酸性溶液
铁、铝和Mg(OH)₂	清洁剂的pH需根据氢氧化物类型调整。适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、硫酸、弱酸如柠檬酸与非离子表面活性剂、亚硫酸氢钠^[7]
金属氧化物	螯合剂，如EDTA、亚硫酸氢钠、柠檬酸、氢氧化铵
硅垢	螯合剂和碱性化合物，如EDTA、氢氧化钠、柠檬酸、氢氧化铵
胶体污染（如黏土）	建议提高给水中胶体的化学稳定性。用于胶体污染的化学试剂有氢氧化钠、阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)、亚硫酸氢钠、EDTA、柠檬酸与磷酸和盐酸^[8-9]
有机污染（如腐殖酸）	碱性剂、表面活性剂和螯合剂，如氢氧化钠、三聚磷酸钠、EDTA、十二烷基硫酸钠、十二烷基苯磺酸钠、过氧化氢和次氯酸钠^[10]
生物污染	通常使用酸性和碱性清洁剂。EDTA可抑制生物膜形成。使用杀生物剂、螯合剂、表面活性剂、柠檬酸和酶可以减少生物污染。此外，适用的化学清洗剂有磷酸三钠、氢氧化钠、SDS、氯和福尔马林^[11-12]

污染类型	化学清洗方案
无机污染
CaCO₃、MgCO₃	碳酸盐化合物的结垢主要导致RO膜脱盐率下降，适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、柠檬酸、磷酸、氢氧化铵、乙二胺四乙酸二钠（EDTA）
CaSO₄、BaSO₄、CaF₂	硫酸盐化合物的结垢通常不溶于多数清洗剂，因此要清洗更具挑战性。适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、磷酸、硫酸、氢氧化钠、亚硫酸氢钠、氢氧化铵、三聚磷酸钠
CaPO₄	表面活性剂和酸性溶液
铁、铝和Mg(OH)₂	清洁剂的pH需根据氢氧化物类型调整。适用的化学清洗剂有盐酸、硫酸、弱酸如柠檬酸与非离子表面活性剂、亚硫酸氢钠^[7]
金属氧化物	螯合剂，如EDTA、亚硫酸氢钠、柠檬酸、氢氧化铵
硅垢	螯合剂和碱性化合物，如EDTA、氢氧化钠、柠檬酸、氢氧化铵
胶体污染（如黏土）	建议提高给水中胶体的化学稳定性。用于胶体污染的化学试剂有氢氧化钠、阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)、亚硫酸氢钠、EDTA、柠檬酸与磷酸和盐酸^[8-9]
有机污染（如腐殖酸）	碱性剂、表面活性剂和螯合剂，如氢氧化钠、三聚磷酸钠、EDTA、十二烷基硫酸钠、十二烷基苯磺酸钠、过氧化氢和次氯酸钠^[10]
生物污染	通常使用酸性和碱性清洁剂。EDTA可抑制生物膜形成。使用杀生物剂、螯合剂、表面活性剂、柠檬酸和酶可以减少生物污染。此外，适用的化学清洗剂有磷酸三钠、氢氧化钠、SDS、氯和福尔马林^[11-12]

膜元件	组成	近似含碳量/%
外壳	玻璃纤维	30~50
饲料间隔	PP塑料	85.7
渗透垫片	聚酯纤维	62.5
膜片（薄膜复合材料）	芳香族聚酰胺（0.2μm）	71.6
	微孔聚砜（40μm）	73.7
	聚酯支架（120μm）	62.5
渗透管/端盖	ABS	88.3
胶水	环氧树脂	62.2
橡胶O形圈	EPDM	83.6

膜元件	组成	近似含碳量/%
外壳	玻璃纤维	30~50
饲料间隔	PP塑料	85.7
渗透垫片	聚酯纤维	62.5
膜片（薄膜复合材料）	芳香族聚酰胺（0.2μm）	71.6
	微孔聚砜（40μm）	73.7
	聚酯支架（120μm）	62.5
渗透管/端盖	ABS	88.3
胶水	环氧树脂	62.2
橡胶O形圈	EPDM	83.6

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