Patent ID: 6821428
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: B01D,C02F

Abstract:
A method of monitoring a membrane separation process in an industrial water system comprising the steps of:(a) providing a membrane capable of removing solutes from a feed stream; wherein the membrane separates the feed stream into a concentrate stream with a greater amount of solutes in it and a permeate stream with a lesser amount of solutes in it; wherein said membrane is suitable for use in an industrial water system; (b) adding an inert fluorescent tracer to the feed stream wherein said fluorescent tracer is not appreciably or significantly affected by the chemistry of the industrial water system; wherein the concentration of the inert fluorescent tracer in the feed stream is from about 5 ppt to about 1000 ppm; (c) removing solutes from the feed stream by contacting the membrane with the feed stream and having the membrane separate the feed stream into a permeate stream and a concentrate stream; (d) providing a fluorometer to detect the fluorescent signal of the inert tracer in at least one of the permeate stream and the concentrate stream; and (e) using the detected fluorescent signal of the inert tracer to determine the amount of the inert fluorescent tracer in at least one of the permeate stream and the concentrate stream.