Title: Membrane Bioreactor for the treatment of natural rubber wastewater

Authors: Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman, Shaliza Ibrahim, Sarah Lim Abdullah

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ' Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ' Trident Consultants, B-3A-4, Megan Avenue 1, 189, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: A membrane bioreactor was set up using two pieces of Kubota flat sheet membranes, with nominal pore size of 0.4 ∝m and a total effective area of 0.2 m²atex concentrate processing factory. A steady-state MLSS concentration was attained at 8500 mg/L during biomass acclimatisation. A critical flux of 0.01224 m³/m²h was determined using the flux step method, whereas an optimum operating flux for fouling minimisation was determined from the sub-critical flux region, to be 0.009 m³/m²h at a COD loading of 3500 mg/L. The BOD₃ and COD removal efficiencies were 96.78% and 96.99%, respectively.

Keywords: MBR; membrane bioreactors; natural rubber wastewater; critical flux; optimal flux; COD loading; chemical oxygen demand; wastewater treatment; fouling minimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2010.029823

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2010 Vol.2 No.1/2/3, pp.92 - 109

Published online: 02 Dec 2009 *

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