Four-Dimensional Visualization of Microscale Dynamics of Membrane Oil Fouling via Synchrotron Radiation Microcomputed Tomography.

Although oil-water separation technology via wettability-controlled membranes has emerged as a promising technology to treat oily wastewater, membrane fouling by faulents such as sludge flocs and colloids, and the consequent clogging of pores, severely degrades the efficiency of filtration systems. One of the main promotors of fouling by faulents is oil fouling, which is also a form of fouling itself. Despite considerable practical and academic interest in the analysis of oil-fouled membranes, direct visualization of the entire process of oil infiltration into hydrophilic membranes is still preliminary owing to (i) the similar optical contrast and physical density between oil and water, (ii) the low penetration depth of imaging methods, and (iii) the lack of 3D segmentation capability. In this study, microcomputed X-ray tomography using tunable synchrotron radiation provided direct high-speed 3D visualization of the microscale dynamics of the oil infiltration of a prewetted hydrophilic filter membrane over time. Direct visualization of the interfacial dynamics of oil infiltration opens a window into the complex liquid (water/oil)-gas-solid interface and thus helps furnish an in-depth understanding of oil fouling in the prewetted membrane.