Alkaline RO Membrane Cleaner – Aquanol 1040

Complete RO Membrane Cleaning Process

For a comprehensive RO membrane cleaning program, Aquanol 1040 Alkaline Cleaner and Aquanol 1038 Acidic Cleaner can be used as separate sequential cleaning stages.

1. Check RO Membrane Performance

Before starting chemical cleaning, record the current RO operating parameters.

Check parameters such as:

• Permeate flow
• Feed pressure
• Concentrate pressure
• Differential pressure
• Permeate quality
• Normalized permeate flow

This provides a baseline for evaluating cleaning performance after the procedure.

2. Prepare the RO Cleaning System

• Shut down the RO plant.
• Isolate the membrane pressure vessels from normal operation.
• Drain the system as required.
• Prepare the cleaning tank and circulation loop.
• Use suitable cleaning water according to the membrane manufacturer's recommendations.
• Confirm chemical compatibility with the membrane and system components.

3. Alkaline Cleaning – Aquanol 1040

Begin with Aquanol 1040 Alkaline RO Membrane Cleaner when alkaline cleaning is appropriate.

• Prepare the Aquanol 1040 cleaning solution at the concentration recommended for the specific membrane and fouling condition.
• Introduce the cleaning solution into the RO cleaning system.
• Circulate the alkaline solution through the membrane pressure vessels.
• Allow the cleaning solution to contact the membrane for the recommended cleaning period.
• Monitor the cleaning solution and system conditions during circulation.
• Drain the spent cleaning solution after completing the alkaline cleaning stage.

The alkaline stage is intended for contaminants that respond better to alkaline cleaning conditions.

4. Intermediate Flush

After completing the Aquanol 1040 cleaning stage:

• Drain the alkaline cleaning solution.
• Flush the RO system thoroughly with suitable water.
• Continue flushing until the alkaline cleaning solution has been adequately removed.
• Do not introduce Aquanol 1038 directly into a system containing residual Aquanol 1040.

A proper intermediate flush is essential before proceeding to acidic cleaning.

5. Acidic Cleaning – Aquanol 1038

If acidic cleaning is required, proceed with Aquanol 1038 Acidic RO Membrane Cleaner after the intermediate flush.

• Prepare Aquanol 1038 at the concentration recommended for the specific membrane and fouling condition.
• Introduce the acidic cleaning solution into the cleaning system.
• Circulate it through the membrane pressure vessels under controlled conditions.
• Allow the required contact time according to the membrane manufacturer's cleaning procedure.
• Drain the spent acidic cleaning solution after completion.

The acidic stage provides a separate cleaning treatment for contaminants that respond better to acidic conditions.

6. Final Flush

After completing the acidic cleaning stage:

• Drain the acidic cleaning solution.
• Flush the RO system thoroughly with suitable water.
• Continue flushing until residual cleaning chemicals have been removed.
• Confirm that the system is ready for normal operation.

7. Restart the RO System

Restart the RO plant according to the normal startup procedure.

Monitor:

• Feed pressure
• Permeate flow
• Concentrate flow
• Differential pressure
• Permeate water quality
• Overall membrane performance

Compare the post-cleaning parameters with the pre-cleaning baseline to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleaning process.

Important

Aquanol 1040 and Aquanol 1038 should not be mixed directly.

When both cleaners are used sequentially, the RO system must be properly flushed between the alkaline and acidic cleaning stages.

Cleaning concentration, temperature, pH, circulation rate and contact time should always be selected according to the RO membrane manufacturer's specifications.