According to the research reports from the FM (Factory Mutual) Insurance Company, for the past two decades most of the incidents that occurred in semiconductor plants were identified as “Fire Cases.” These reports claimed the fires in Wet Chemical Cleaning Processes were mainly caused by heater failure, yet, based on the process conditions, a heater is designed to shut down automatically when t...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in membrane surface properties and solute separation by a nanofiltration membrane during repetitive membrane fouling and chemical cleaning. Secondary treated effluent and model fouling solutions containing humic acids, sodium alginate, or silica colloids were used to simulate membrane fouling. Chemical cleaning was carried out using a commercial...

We systematically assess the efficiency of chemical cleaning and report a simple but elegant approach to control scaling during membrane distillation (MD) of brine from reverse osmosis (RO) treatment of coal seam gas (CSG) produced water. Results reported here show that increased feed water salinity and the permeation of CO2 from the feed solution resulted in only a small and gradual decrease i...

Nanofiltration membranes play an important role in the desalination of brackish and seawater as well as membrane mediated waste water reclamation and other industrial separations. Fouling of nanofiltration (NF) membranes is typically caused by inorganic and organic materials present in water that adhere to the surface and pores of the membrane and results in deterioration of performance (reduce...

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane system was applied to the treatment and reclamation of textile wastewater in Thailand. An experiment was carried out to determine the fouling behavior and effect of anti-scalant and biocide addition to flux decline and its recovery through chemical cleaning. The RO unit was operated for one month after which the fouled membranes were c...

Endoscopes are used widely for the diagnosis and therapy of medical disorders. To prevent spread of nosocomial infection, all endoscopes should undergo thorough cleaning and high-level disinfection following each use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a user-friendly package label for one liquid chemical germicide that requires a 45-minute immersion at 25 degrees C to support ...

Black crust, or gypsum crust, is a surficial accumulation of atmospheric deposits in a gypsum matrix, which is often firmly bonded to the substrate. This condition is ubiquitous on marble buildings, not only threatening the historic fabric, but also leading to aesthetic damage. Laser ablation cleaning has become a popular method to remove black crust from masonry surface. This study focuses on ...

A chemical and water-free laser-assisted cleaning technology using deep ultraviolet photons in conjunction with a flowing inert gas is introduced. This environment friendly technology can be used in a wide-range of industrial applications.