Seawater desalination using forward osmosis process

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the forward osmosis (FO) process for seawater desalination. The leakage of boron from the seawater into the draw solution was also studied. According to the WHO guideline, the maximum permissible limit of boron in drinking water is 2.4 ppm. Preliminary results of boron rejection by forward osmosis membrane were found to be 60-70%. Minimal fouling of the FO membrane was observed in the experimental run spanning over 70 days. Under the given set of test conditions, flux of 1.4 L m-2 h-1 was found throughout the run and there was no significant decline in the flux. With a flux recovery of 40% which is the same as that of the reverse osmosis (RO) process, FO could be potentially utilized for seawater desalination applications. © IWA Publishing 2014.