Reverse osmosis (RO) was successfully commercialized in the mid-1960’s and, due to significant advances in membrane and system performance, is the leading world-wide demineralization technique in use today. Despite advances in performance, RO is still challenged with deposition of scalants and foulants, including silica, on the membranes. Silica is ubiquitous, found in ground and surface waters; its deposition on RO membranes has serious consequences for system performance and economics. Silica deposition is a very complex and challenging issue, given the vast array of silica species that have been identified and can be present in RO feed water. Silica scale, colloidal silica, and metal silicates are just some of the silica species negatively affecting RO operations. Deposition of such species leads to decreased system performance, more frequent membrane cleaning, shorter membrane life, and higher operating costs. This review paper describes the nature of silica deposition, impacts on performance and costs, and possible mitigation strategies.

Subject
Acids, Water, Silicates, Polymerization, Iron, Solubility, Silica, Acidity, Scale formation, Scale, Hardness, Scaling, Cleaning
Keywords:
Reverse osmosis, Silica deposition, Silicates, Pretreatment, Cleaning
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2021
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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