Comparison of ceramic and polymeric membranes for natural organic matter (NOM) removal

Ceramic membranes were compared with polymeric membranes with respect to natural organic matter (NOM) removal using two removal mechanisms (i.e., size exclusion and charge repulsion). NOM properties including molecular weight and molecular structure, at different charge densities, were examined, along with membrane characteristics, including molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and surface charge. Integrated analyses of both NOM and membrane characteristics provided information for membrane evaluation of different membrane materials and configurations (i.e.. tubular vs. flat sheet type). A ceramic tight-ultrafiltration (UF) membrane showed the same potential as a similar nanofiltration (NF) polymeric membrane, in terms of the minimization of haloacetic acid (HAA) formation. Moreover, a ceramic UF membrane with a MWCO of 8000 Daltons showed almost the same behavior as an equitable polymeric UF membrane with a MWCO of 8000 Daltons in terms of NOM removal.