Feasibility of a heterogeneous Fenton membrane reactor containing a Fe-ZSM5 catalyst for pharmaceuticals degradation: Membrane fouling control and long-term stability

Yandi Lan (1) , Laurie Barthe (1) , Antonin Azaïs (1) , Christel Causserand (1)

1 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

Fenton oxidation is one of the promising advanced oxidation processes for the efficient elimination of pharmaceuticals from wastewater. The strong oxidation ability of this process is attributed to the generation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (radical dotOH) in the solution. In the present study, heterogeneous micro-sized zeolite catalysts that contain iron have been used in the Fenton-like process. This process enables operation in a wide pH range and facilitates the reuse of catalysts. Indeed, the coupling of the heterogeneous Fenton reaction with membrane filtration will ensure catalyst retention in the effluent compartment during the continuous water treatment. This study then investigated the fouling control strategies and membrane long-term stability in the heterogeneous Fenton reactor. During the filtration of the zeolite catalyst suspension, the critical flux for irreversible fouling was determined. One of the strategies to control membrane fouling can then be to choose an operating flux below this critical flux. In the case where a flux value above the critical flux is chosen, the results demonstrated total efficiency of hydrodynamic backwashing to eliminate hydraulically reversible fouling. Concerning the question of polymeric membrane long-term stability, it has been demonstrated that due to contact with the Fenton medium, membrane material undergoes oxidation and polymeric chain scissions. This latter is strongly linked to the decline in the mechanical resistance of membranes. In the tested conditions, despite the degradation to membrane material, the critical flux for irreversible fouling remained unchanged on aged membranes.

Mots clés: Slurry catalyst; Water treatment; Microfiltration; Membrane ageing

Domaines: Génie chimique; Catalyse; Ingénierie de l'environnement

Yandi Lan, Laurie Barthe, Antonin Azaïs, Christel Causserand. Feasibility of a heterogeneous Fenton membrane reactor containing a Fe-ZSM5 catalyst for pharmaceuticals degradation: Membrane fouling control and long-term stability. Separation and Purification Technology, 2019, 231, pp.115920. ⟨10.1016/j.seppur.2019.115920⟩. ⟨hal-03116505⟩