In recent years, the extraction of unconventional resources has driven an immediate increase in the development of oil and gas (O&G) production. Hydraulic fracturing is the key technology that has enabled the extraction of unconventional resources. The management of hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water is a major challenge for unconventional O&G exploration and production. The expedited rate of hydraulic fracturing development coupled with increased demand for fresh water, water scarcity, limited disposal options, and concern of environmental impacts has elevated the O&G industry to minimize fresh water consumption and increase their reuse application. Ceramic membranes have been rapidly emerging in water and wastewater treatment as an alternative to polymeric membranes, but yet little information on their performance and fouling mechanism is available. The purpose of this study was to design and build a MF ceramic membrane system in order to evaluate the fouling characteristics and effluent quality of ceramic membrane and compare it with UF polymeric membrane in produced water treatment.
