Completed

Membrane Spacer Optimization for Forward Osmosis

Spacer geometry evaluation for flux improvement and fouling mitigation in osmotic membrane processes

Role

Co-author

Spacer fabrication and analysis

Team

N. Yanar, M. Son, E. Yang, Y. Kim, H. Park, S. E. Nam, H. Choi

Platforms

Date

Jan 2017 – Jan 2018

Published: Yanar, N., Son, M., Yang, E., Kim, Y., Park, H., Nam, S. E., & Choi, H. (2018). Chemosphere, 202, 708–715. DOI →

Spacer prototype

Overview

This study evaluated 3D-printed membrane feed spacers fabricated from three polymers (ABS, PP, natural PLA) for forward osmosis (FO) membrane modules. Performance was benchmarked against a commercial diamond-shaped spacer to assess feasibility of customizable, biodegradable alternatives for membrane separation systems.

Key Findings

PLA spacers achieved ~10% less fouling than the commercial reference (foulant volume per unit area, RMS roughness)
PLA showed the highest yield strength (0.433 MPa) among tested materials
All 3D-printed samples matched commercial water flux and improved reverse solute flux and fouling resistance
Demonstrated feasibility of biodegradable spacer materials for sustainable membrane operations

Reference

Yanar, N. et al. (2018). Investigation of the performance behavior of a forward osmosis membrane system using various feed spacer materials fabricated by 3D printing technique. Chemosphere, 202, 708–715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.147