RR Dewi Putri, Heru Susanto, Laurentia Setiawan, Marcelinus Christwardana, I.Nyoman Widiasa
This study explores the recycling of end-of-life (EoL) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, focusing on fouling removal, degradation of polyamide (PA) layers using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and the application of recycled membranes for recirculating aquaculture systems. Sequential cleaning procedures employing HCl, NaOH, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) effectively reduced fouling, as confirmed by SEM and EDX analyses. Controlled NaOCl exposure resulted in progressive PA layer degradation, with FTIR analysis demonstrated significant reductions in amide group peaks. Recycled membranes treated with 0.6 % NaOCl for 72–168 h demonstrated pure water flux ranging from 97.9 ± 0.7–147.6 ± 4.7 L/m²·h, salt rejection declining from 44 ± 0.00 % to 7 ± 0.00 % for MgSO₄, and protein (BSA) rejection ranging from 82 ± 0.00 % to 91 ± 0.00 %, indicating filtration characteristics comparable to tight ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of recycling EoL RO membranes, offering a sustainable approach to membrane waste management. Notably, this study is among the first to demonstrate the practical application of recycled RO membranes in tropical recirculating aquaculture systems for shrimp cultivation, underlining its novelty in both environmental engineering and aquaculture contexts. © 2025 The Authors
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, 50229, Indonesia; Membrane Research Center, Central Laboratory for Research and Services, Universitas Diponegoro, Tembalang, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia; School of Engineering, College of Systems & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2600, ACT, Australia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia; Master Program of Energy, School of Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, 50241, Indonesia; Research Collaboration Center for Electrochemistry, BRIN – Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia
