Remove Biofouling from Ultrafilters


Q. We are a waste treatment plant with an in-house ultrafiltration system. We keep experiencing rapid fouling of our filters causing an excessive need to take the system out of service for cleaning. We suspect that microbes are growing inside the system and rapidly clogging the pores of the filter. We have tried hot NaOH flushes and we see little to no improvement on the filter permeability and very poor permeability recovery.



A. We would recommend using a 1% Tergazyme™ Enzyme-Active Powdered Detergent cleaning solution to resolve this filter issue. Cleaning at a moderate temperature of 120 degrees F (~50 degrees C) maintained by an immersion heater in the sump during a one hour clean-in-place program consisting of:



20 minutes circulate

20 minutes stop and soak

20 minutes circulate

followed by a thorough rinse as a pre-treatment

This will effectively remove the biofouling and restore the filters to their normal length of service.



Cleaning biofouling in excess of the above recommended temperatures with hot alkaline detergents or caustics can cause these proteinaceous soils to become cross-linked and far more difficult to remove. The powerful proteolytic enzymes in Tergazyme powder will cleave and remove the proteins, as well as its emulsifiers removing remaining organic residue. It is important to note that Tergazyme solutions should be kept below 130 degrees F to avoid enzyme activty loss/degradation and used within 8 hours of creation to ensure maximum enzyme efficacy.



For more details, request your copy of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook or request a free sample of Tergazyme detergent or any Alconox Inc. detergent.


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