(723s) Applicability of Membrane Pervaporation for Ammonia Removal from Wastewater

Ammoniacal wastewater comes from many industries like petroleum refineries, steelworks, fertilizers, pulp and paper and coke plants. The characteristics are different for different effluents according to their feed stocks. Removal is carried out by different methods depending on ammonia concentration in feed and other contaminants in effluents. Industries are following three different approaches of pollution abatement, at source, recycle/reuse and treatment of effluents in dealing with this problem. In a fertilizer industry wastewater from urea plant contains high ammonia and also urea, oil etc. The two other major effluent streams are from ammonia production and phosphoric acid production plants. Effluent from ammonia production is highly alkaline and contains excess ammonia from gas scrubbing and gas cleaning operations. The phosphoric acid effluent is acidic and contains high amount of phosphates and suspended solids.

In this paper focus has been given to the causes of pollution in fertilizer industry, and remedy for waste water containing ammoniacal nitrogen. In this study applicability of membrane pervaporation for ammonia removal from aqueous solution is investigated. The effects of different operating parameters on ammonia removal from aqueous solutions have been investigated. Experimental results showed that high feed temperature and low downstream pressures enhance ammonia removal. Experimental results compared with simulated results of ammonia removal by stripping method using PRO II for same ammonia feed composition.

Key Words: Ammoniacal wastewater, Simulation, membrane, pervaporation, stripping.