Removal of silica from brackish water by integrated adsorption/ultrafiltration process.

A lab-scale unit of the hybrid continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) adsorption/ultrafiltration (UF) system was used to evaluate the removal efficiency of silica from brackish water. The semi-batch adsorption process was carried out using iron oxy/hydroxide agglomerates (IOAs) as adsorbent and hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane as a barrier to the adsorbent passage to the product water. The effect of residence time, concentration of silica, and adsorbent dosage on the silica removal and UF membrane blockage was examined.