What Is an Antiscalant?
This is a chemical product dosed into raw water in filtration systems such as reverse osmosis to delay the crystallization of minerals that accumulate on the surface of the membrane on the raw water side. This helps extend the service life of the filters.
Why Do Membranes Clog?
When we think of reverse osmosis systems, the first function that comes to mind is producing high-quality water from poor-quality water. We’d like to point out that reverse osmosis systems have another function: concentrating poor-quality water several times over to create even worse water! When we consider this second function of reverse osmosis systems, it becomes easier to understand why reverse osmosis membranes become clogged and fail.
When certain minerals in water become concentrated, they form solid crystals: In water of poor quality, reverse osmosis is used to produce water with low conductivity and very low hardness. However, the minerals in the raw water entering the reverse osmosis system unfortunately do not evaporate and disappear; rather, they become concentrated on the “raw water” side of the reverse osmosis membranes—also known as the “bad water” side—and when the concentration limit is reached, the water “reaches saturation,” causing solid crystals to form within the membranes and clog them.
To prevent crystal formation, “antiscalant” is added to the raw water entering the reverse osmosis system; the antiscalant delays the crystallization of minerals within the membrane.
What Are the Factors That Cause Membrane Clogging?
However, in cases such as a malfunction of the antiscalant dosing pump, a blown fuse, or the depletion of chemicals in the antiscalant tank, clogging of the membranes with crystals becomes inevitable.
In addition, if an excessive amount of antiscalant is dosed, the membrane may become clogged as the concentrate water condenses on it.
If the protective cartridges are not installed correctly, if the cartridges are of poor quality, or if they operate at high pressure, they may allow certain solids to pass through; these solids then accumulate inside the membrane, causing it to clog.
What Causes Microbial Growth on Membranes?
Microbes also multiply inside the membranes of filtration systems such as reverse osmosis. Even if the microbes that enter the membrane are not concentrated, they clog the membrane. In fact, microbes can pass through a microscopic pore between the membrane layers and reach the pure water side of the membrane, where they continue to multiply. As a result, microbes are found in the reverse osmosis product water.
At Cemkimsan Kimya, we have developed and manufacture at our plant our antiscalant products;
C-SCALANT 6080: A protective product for membranes fed with water containing high levels of silica. It prevents membrane fouling and extends their useful service life.
C-SCALANT 2005: A membrane protection product. It prevents membrane clogging or a decrease in capacity and extends their useful service life.
C-SCALANT 1085: A membrane protection product. It prevents membrane clogging or capacity loss and extends the useful service life of the membranes. Suitable for use in drinking water production facilities. NSF-certified.
Our products used to clean membranes that have become clogged or contaminated with bacteria include:
C-MEC 102: Acidic membrane cleaner; used to clean membranes whose pure water production capacity has decreased due to scale and similar contaminants. It is an acidic product with a low pH value.
C-MEC 100: An organic acidic membrane cleaner used to clean membranes whose pure water production capacity has decreased due to scale and similar contaminants. It is an acidic product with a low pH value.
C-MEC 200: Alkaline membrane cleaner; used to clean membranes whose pure water production capacity has decreased due to colloidal and similar contaminants. It is an alkaline product with a high pH value.
C-MEC 17https://cemkimsan.com.tr/c-mec-17/ is a membrane cleaning chemical used to remove biological deposits that accumulate on R.O. membranes over time.
Source:
www.cemkimsan.com.tr/post/antiskalant-ve-membran-teknolojisi
www.suvecevre.com/edergi
TMMOB Chamber of Chemical Engineers; Water Handbook
Cemkimsan Chemistry Lecture Notes