Ceramic membrane filtration of water samples from Ain Fayda Lake and cement factory (Al‐Ain), United Arab Emirates

Abstract

AbstractThis article presents a Ceramic Membrane‐based Produced Water Treatment Technology and its application to water samples from Al‐Ain (Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates). The samples were collected during the summer of 2022 from Ain Fayda (lake water) and Al‐Ain cement factory (groundwater). This study investigates the effectiveness of the ceramic membrane for treating water samples and removing solid particles. A dead‐end filtration mode with a filtration flux of 3 m3/m2/d was used. For the Ain Fayda Lake water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 120 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing was used to reduce the transmembrane pressure to around 70 kPa and Total Suspended Solids were reduced from 1.4 to <1 mg/L during 160 min of filtration. For the Al‐Ain cement factory water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 160 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing reduced the transmembrane pressure to around 65 kPa and the Total Suspended Solids from 9.1 to <1 mg/L during 130 min of filtration. Both water samples belong to the Na‐Cl water type. Overall, this work shows the effectiveness of the Ceramic Membrane‐based Produced Water Treatment Technology for reducing Total Suspended Solids in sampled waters; thus, we recommend this approach for treating surface waters in Al‐Ain to improve the environment and possible usage in agriculture.