A reverse osmosis (RO) plant was installed at a gold mine in the Australian Outback to permit use of saline ground water and eliminate dependence on trucked-in water. Compounds of Al and Si in the feedwater caused fouling of filters and membranes, leading to excessive maintenance and reduced water flow. Tests for Al had not been included in the initial water analyses. Various remedies were tried with limited success. The final remedy was to use wells having lower saline/AI water with a double-treatment RO process.
Subject
Acids,
Costs,
Water,
Precipitates,
Wiring,
Reverse osmosis,
Seawater,
Feedwater,
Filters,
Mining,
Deposit corrosion,
Fouling,
Cleaning
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2004
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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