Abstract
Ultrasound treatment is a feasible option for membrane cleaning but its exploitation is possible only if membranes withstand the treatment. In this review an overview of the literature concerning the membrane tolerance to ultrasonic irradiation is provided. The amount of available information concerning stability of membranes under exposure to ultrasound is limited. The tolerance to ultrasonic irradiation has been evaluated only for some membrane materials. The most examined material, polyvinylidenefluoride, stands up well to ultrasonic treatment compared to other tested materials. However, experimental arrangements differ significantly from each other and the comparison of membrane tolerances is challenging. The results of the review reveal that standardized test methods are needed for getting comparable information on membrane tolerances to ultrasound.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to the Academy of Finland (Project SA/122181) for financial support.
Notes
*Membrane module in the water bath of a sonicator.
**Membrane in a beaker immersed in an US bath and filled with de-ionized water.
***Ultrasonic probe/transducer inside a filter cell.
****Membrane in a glass vessel in the presence of an ultrasonic transducer.
*Membrane module in the water bath of a sonicator.
**Membrane in a beaker immersed in an US bath and filled with de-ionized water.
***Ultrasonic probe inside a filter cell.
****Membrane in a glass vessel in the presence of an ultrasonic transducer.