| Abstract |
| The increase in shale gas production in recent years has resulted in environmental and water management challenges because the water utilized in hydraulic fracturing contains many pollutants. Therefore, the treatment of this wastewater has received significant attention. In the present study, the feasibility of membrane distillation for the treatment of wastewater from shale gas plants was examined. The results indicated that direct-contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is suitable for treating both low-range and high-range flowback water. Based on theoretical calculations and long-term experiments, DCMD was shown to achieve a recovery rate of over 70%. However, the flux abruptly decreased above this critical recovery rate due to membrane fouling. The examination of fouled membranes using scanning electron microscopy revealed that scale was the major source of fouling. In order to ensure that DCMD can become a reliable next-generation desalination technology, the membrane fouling mechanisms were investigated in more detail. This study confirmed that DCMD could be used to treat high-concentration wastewater, but membrane wetting occurred due to scale formation, oil, and grease. Moreover, oil and surfactants were identified as serious obstacles to the use of DCMD because they cause membrane wetting. |
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| Key Words |
| Shale gas produced water, Membrane distillation, Water treatment, Membrane fouling, Membrane wetting, 셰일가스 플랜트 용수, 막증발법, 수처리, 막오염, 막젖음 |
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