Provided are a method for preserving a composite semipermeable membrane which is less likely to cause a decrease in the water permeability of the composite semipermeable membrane even in a high-temperature environment, a preservation solution used for the method, and a spiral membrane element including the preservation solution. A method for preserving a composite semipermeable membrane that allows monovalent ions to selectively permeate therethrough, the method includes using an aqueous solution containing an inorganic salt and/or an organic salt composed only of monovalent cations and monovalent anions as a preservation solution to be brought into contact with the composite semipermeable membrane.

Components, systems, and methods for producing highly hydrophilitic, functionalized inorganic filtration membranes, pre-treating organic and biological-containing waste waters for minimal membrane fouling and scaling when processed using such functionalized membranes, and use of such functionalized membranes of the present invention in filtration systems for separating such pre-treated waste waters, all with respect to optimal permeate production rates, purity of permeate and resistance to fouling and scale formation on the membranes.

The present invention relates to a method for filtering a microbial culture solution using a membrane module, said method comprising four stages including (a) cross-flow filtration of the microbial culture solution, (b) rinsing with water, (c) washing with a chemical solution and (d) rinsing with water, wherein: the filtrate passing through the membrane module in the cross-flow filtration has a total sugar concentration of 1,000-100,000 mg/1 inclusive and a protein concentration of 50-1,000 mg/l inclusive; the aforesaid stage (c) comprises step (c-1) for washing with a chemical solution containing a hypochlorite and a nonionic surfactant; and the aforesaid stages (a) to (d) are repeated in this order.

The present invention provides for the use of activator complexes to enhance lower temperature cleaning in alkaline peroxide cleaning systems. Compositions including at least one of an activator complex, an active oxygen source, and a source of alkalinity are applied to the surface to be cleaned at temperatures between about 5 C. and about 50 C. The methods and compositions of the present invention provide for enhanced soil removal with reduced energy, water, and chemistry consumption.

Disclosed are membrane separation cleaning processes and clean in place compositions for such membranes. The cleaning compositions can remove proteins, fats, and other food, beverage, and brewery based soils and offer an environmentally friendly alternative surfactant system to NPE. Branched extended chain PO/EO nonionic surfactants with certain characteristics may be used to provide superior cleaning to membranes. The specific surfactants may be used alone or in combination. In some embodiments, the surfactant package is used as part of a cleaning composition.

A method ensuring excellent chemical resistance to a chemical cleaning solution, excellent filtration performance and an enhanced life in a saccharified solution production method including a cleaning step and filtration using a porous filtration membrane. A method for producing a saccharified solution, including the following steps: a liquefaction step of adding an enzyme to liquid starch to obtain a sugar-containing liquefied product; a saccharification step of adding a saccharifying enzyme to further degrade the sugar and obtain a saccharified solution composition containing a saccharified solution and an insoluble component; a filtration step of passing the saccharified solution composition through a porous membrane composed of a resin having a three-dimensional network structure to separate the saccharified solution from the insoluble component; and a cleaning step of passing or soaking the porous membrane into a cleaning solution to clean/remove the insoluble matter attached to the surface or inside of the porous membrane.

Components, systems and methods for producing hydrophilitic, functionalized inorganic filtration membranes, pre-treating organic and biological-containing waste waters for minimal membrane fouling and scaling when processed using such functionalized membranes, and use of such functionalized membranes of the present invention in filtration systems for separating such pre-treated waste waters, all with respect to optimal permeate production rates, purity of permeate and resistance to fouling and scale formation on the membranes.

A membrane filtration device including a filtration mode for filtrating water to be treated by passing the water to be treated from a primary side to a secondary side of a filtration membrane and a filtration membrane cleaning mode for cleaning the filtration membrane by passing ozone water from the secondary side to the primary side of the filtration membrane, wherein the membrane filtration device includes an inter-membrane differential pressure controller for controlling an inter-membrane differential pressure ?P, and is configured such that in the filtration membrane cleaning mode, the inter-membrane differential pressure controller performs control to gradually lower the inter-membrane differential pressure ?P twin a predetermined initial differential pressure ?P1 to a final differential ?P2, which is a value lower than the ?P1.

Methods of combined sterilization and integrity testing of dialyzers such as hollow fiber dialyzers are disclosed. Sterilization and integrity testing may be performed by treating the dialyzer with a sterilization fluid for sterilizing at least the blood-side compartment of the dialyzer and for wetting the dialysis membrane of the dialyzer with the sterilization fluid, and carrying out an integrity testing of the dialysis membrane wetted with the sterilization fluid, wherein the sterilization fluid is selected from aqueous solutions containing peroxide and/or ozone, the peroxide being selected from peroxides which disintegrate into water, oxygen and/or volatile organic compounds, and from aqueous solutions containing chlorine, bromine and/or iodine.

Provided is a scale inhibitor for RO membranes which effectively inhibits the precipitation of calcium carbonate in an RO membrane treatment without increasing the phosphorus concentration in effluent and which can be used even in the RO membrane treatment of feed in which high-M-alkalinity concentrate having a calcium hardness level of 100 to 600 mg/L-CaCO.sub.3 and an M alkalinity of 1000 to 16000 mg-CaCO.sub.3/L is produced. A scale inhibitor for reverse osmosis membranes which inhibits the formation of calcium carbonate scale in an RO membrane treatment, the scale inhibitor including components (A) and (B) below. An RO membrane treatment method including adding the scale inhibitor for RO membranes to RO feed. Component (A): Terpolymer of maleic acid, an acrylic acid alkyl ester, and vinyl acetate, Component (B): Homopolymer of carboxylic acid