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Use of Microbiological, Geochemical, and X-ray Diffraction Techniques to Support the Autopsy of Reverse Osmosis Membrane from a Saudi Aramco Gas Plant

The reverse osmosis (RO) membrane fouling is a significant challenge faced by oil and gas plants, impacting their operational efficiency and overall productivity. The primary cause of RO membrane fouling in oil and gas plants can be attributed to the presence of various foulants, including suspended solids, organic matter, scaling minerals, and biological agents. Among these foulants, microbial activity plays a significant role in accelerating membrane fouling.

Product Number: MECC23-20019-SG
Author: Husam S. Khanfar; Husin Sitepu; Xiangyang Zhu
Publication Date: 2023
$20.00
$20.00
$20.00

This paper reports the microbiological, geochemical, and X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses on water and/or reverse osmosis (RO) membrane cartridges in order to establish the nature of the deposits responsible for the premature blockage of RO membranes. The membrane autopsy revealed the irregularity in resin application of the membrane layers and excessive deposits on membrane cartridges. XRD phase composition obtained from Rietveld method revealed that the inorganic crystalline materials part of the deposits on the aged RO membranes mainly consisted of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) (˃ 99.00%), which was further confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis. Microbial analysis indicated that microbial activity is unlikely to have played any significant role in the membrane blockage. It is concluded that the premature RO membrane blockage is mainly due to the deposition of carbonate scale and defects in membrane sealing. The mitigation strategy for carbonate scale has been discussed.

This paper reports the microbiological, geochemical, and X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses on water and/or reverse osmosis (RO) membrane cartridges in order to establish the nature of the deposits responsible for the premature blockage of RO membranes. The membrane autopsy revealed the irregularity in resin application of the membrane layers and excessive deposits on membrane cartridges. XRD phase composition obtained from Rietveld method revealed that the inorganic crystalline materials part of the deposits on the aged RO membranes mainly consisted of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) (˃ 99.00%), which was further confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis. Microbial analysis indicated that microbial activity is unlikely to have played any significant role in the membrane blockage. It is concluded that the premature RO membrane blockage is mainly due to the deposition of carbonate scale and defects in membrane sealing. The mitigation strategy for carbonate scale has been discussed.