Effect of Support Material Properties on Dynamic Membrane Filtration Performance

A dynamic membrane is defined as a cake layer which forms on a support material, for example, filter cloth or mesh when the liquid to be filtered includes suspended particles. Formation of an effective dynamic cake layer is highly related with the retention of particles on the support material surface. Therefore, support material properties are considered to be of prime importance in the performance of dynamic membrane treatment systems. This study investigates the effect of support material properties including pore size and structure of the material on dynamic membrane formation and performance. In this concept, a comparative evaluation was made between support materials which have different yarn types. The results showed that high total suspended solids removal efficiency (>98%) could be achieved by using dynamic membrane filtration technology. Mono-monofilament and staple filter cloths were determined as the most appropriate materials in terms of the critical fluxes which were 9.2 L/m2 · h and 17–19 L/m2 · h for mono-mono filament and staple materials, respectively. However, considering the results of more long-term experiments, mono-monofilament filter cloth was found more suitable for cake layer accumulation. Therefore, we postulate that mono-monofilament cloth can be used in dynamic membrane filtration systems as an alternative to traditional membranes in anaerobic membrane bioreactors.