Ultrafiltration of Aqueous PVA Using Spinning Basket Membrane Module

The performance of spinning basket membrane (SBM) module was tested for the separation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) from wastewater. The SBM performance was examined using 50 kDa polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane under different parametric conditions. Also, the effects of rotational speed and transmembrane pressure on permeate flux and PVA rejection were investigated. The rotational speed played a significant role in decreasing membrane fouling by reducing the particle deposition on the membrane surface due to enhanced turbulence and shear force. Also, the in-built hydrodynamic cleaning facility of the SBM module allowed easy cleaning of the membrane. The steady-state value of percentage rejection of PVA was above 90% when the steady-state permeate flux value was above 54% of its initial value. The results suggested that spinning basket membrane module was efficient as well as economical for the separation of PVA from aqueous solution.