Solving the Operational Challenges of Sulfate Removal Units Using High-Flux, Fouling-Resistant Nanofiltration Membranes

Desulfation of seawater before injection is required to control reservoir souring and scale formation. For this task, operators use nanofiltration (NF) membranes in sulfate removal units (SRUs). The tendency of the membranes to foul is a key operational challenge. To overcome fouling, frequent chemical cleaning is required. An additional constraint for SRUs is that the amount of treated water cannot be increased easily as a higher water output results in an even faster fouling of membranes. In this paper, we describe a method to enhance permeate flux and fouling resistance of desulfation membranes. The enhancements are achieved by modifying the active layer of commercially available NF membranes using a permanent coating that increases hydrophilicity while retaining the high surface charge characteristic of NF membranes. We report the results of a six-month field trial with the coated membranes. The test was executed at the Seawater Desalination Test Facility in Port Hueneme, California using 2.5" dia. membrane modules. The test skid contained two different parallel flow lines with a stack of six coated 2.5" dia. membranes in series, and an uncoated 2.5" membrane for reference. The results show a 25% higher permeate flux for the coated membranes compared to the uncoated membrane at the same transmembrane pressure. Sulfate rejection was unchanged for both coated and uncoated membranes during the entire duration of the test. The coated membrane also showed a lower fouling rate than the uncoated membrane. The time between cleaning events increased by ∼ 38 % for the coated membranes as compared to the uncoated membrane, and the coated membrane processed ∼ 63 % more permeate before cleaning was required. Preliminary results also indicate an enhanced chlorine tolerance of the coated membranes of at least 3000 ppm-h under continuous chlorination at ∼ 1 ppm. The impact of the coating on the economics of SRU operations will be discussed in the paper. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that performance and operability of SRUs can be significantly enhanced by a newly-developed coating, and that a significant reduction in the lifecycle cost of SRUs can be achieved.