ZEOLITE MEMBRANES FOR REMOVAL OF CONTAMINANTS IN DRINKING WATER

As demands for drinking water quality become increasingly stringent, new methodsfor educing contaminant levels to the low ppb range are being sought. Ofparticular concern is the reduction of trihalomethanes (THM's), reaction productsfrom chlorination of water in the presence of naturally occurring humic andfulvic acids. These compounds have been identified as probable carcinogens.Membrane filtration has demonstrated promising potential for removing the THMprecursors from the water prior to chlorination. A "molecular sieve" membranecould either remove these precursors from the water or remove the THM's from thefinished water stream.In Phase I, TDA Research will demonstrate that zeolite molecular sieve membranecan remove trihalomethanes and other impurities from water. The flux andretention characteristics of zeolite membranes are superior to the recentlydeveloped nanofiltration polymeric membranes. They will fabricated dense, crack-free zeolite filmsflux and retention of THM precursors and THMs and conduct an engineeringanalysis. In Phase II, TDA Research will design and fabricate a prototype of azeolite film module and demonstrate its ability to remove THM contaminants. Theywill investigate the fouling behavior and optimize cleaning techniques.