Overview of Fouling – An Industrial Jeopardy

Abstract

A brief insight into fouling and its various types, which impose a hurdle on the performance of an apparatus and ultimately a negative impact on the environment as a whole due to the excess unwanted deposits, is given. Within the various types mentioned, specific cases of fouling occurrences in each are also highlighted. The mechanism associated with the specific cases as well as the difficulties arising are mentioned as interpreted from previous literature and experiments. There are cases where more than one type of fouling is found to be simultaneously occurring, which is referred to as composite fouling. Numerous parameters control this phenomenon, along with some exceptions associated with the same. Few membranes or plates or their physical aspects prove to be quite effective in withstanding or overcoming a specific type of fouling. Mitigation of fouling demands proper monitoring and control of the chemical processes to ensure lesser damage to the equipments. Industrial fouling in general and specific scenarios of fouling are overviewed and discussed.