Application of an anaerobic biomembrane system on the treatment of high strength industrial wastewaters

In the scope of this thesis, performance of a laboratory scale side-stream anaerobic biomembrane system was evaluated. System was composed of an upflow sludge blanket reactor (UASB) and Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane. Diameter and volume of the anaerobic reactor was 20 centimeter and 10 liter, respectively. Water jacket was used to get access to mesophilic conditions in the reactor. Pall Microza SLP-1053 hollow fiber UF membrane module was used after the anaerobic reactor. Molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and surface area of the membrane was 10 kilo Dalton and 0.1 square meters, respectively.Synthetic wastewater consisted of diluted molasses was used. Before membrane commissioning, low organic loading rates (OLR) were applied in order to get steady-state conditions in the anaerobic reactor. After that, OLR was increased up to 15 kilogram COD per cubic meter per day step by step. As a result of the experimental studies, minimum COD removal efficiencies were obtained at lowest HRT applications. A maximum efficiency of 95 percent at OLR of 7.5 kilogram COD per cubic meter per day and HRT of 2 day was achieved. The efficiency of the system decreased with increasing organic loading rate.At the end of the study, kinetic parameters of the system were determined by applying some biokinetic models.