Characterization of filter materials in multimedia filtration for reverse osmosis desalination at the sorfert complex

Naoual Bensaad, Khadidja Benyahia, Boumediene Haddou, Nour E. Badrane and Hanane Badid

Abstract

The growing demand for high-quality freshwater makes seawater desalination essential. However, effective pretreatment is crucial to protect reverse osmosis membranes and ensure long-term efficiency. This study, conducted at the SORFERT complex, evaluates the performance of multimedia filtration by characterizing sand and Filtralite® Pure using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV spectroscopy. Results show that sand filtration led to increased turbidity (+3.1 NTU), suspended solids (+19 mg/L), and chemical oxygen demand (+12.28 mg/L). XRD analysis suggests structural modifications in the sand after filtration, while FTIR confirms Filtralite® Pure' superior adsorption capacity. The particle size distribution analysis reveals a shift in dominant particle sizes, highlighting the limitations of sand filtration. These findings demonstrate the importance of selecting optimal filter media to enhance seawater pretreatment for desalination.

Key Words

desalination; filtralite® FTIR; multimedia filtration; pretreatment; pure; reverse osmosis; sand; seawater quality; XRD

Address

Naoual Bensaad and Khadidja Benyahia: Department of Process and Materials Engineering, National Polytechnic School, Oran, Algeria/ Physics-Chemistry Laboratory of Catalysis and Environment Materials, USTO, Algeria Boumediene Haddou: Physics-Chemistry Laboratory of Catalysis And Environment Materials, USTO, Algeria/ Faculty of Chemistry, USTO, Algeria Nour E. Badrane: Department of Process and Materials Engineering, National Polytechnic School, Oran, Algeria Hanane Badid: Physics-Chemistry Laboratory of Catalysis and Environment Materials, USTO, Algeria

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