Significant role of intermittent PMS backwash in mitigating irreversible fouling in MnTiO3 catalytic ceramic membranes

MnTiO 3 catalytic ceramic membrane (MTPCM) is prepared via solid particle impregnation- drawing- sintering method. • MTPCM 3 exhibits high BSA rejection primarily through dynamic cake layer formation and pore constriction. • Intermittent PMS backwash reduces chemical consumption while mitigating irreversible fouling. • MTPCM exhibits stable filtration performance over multi-cycle operation with PMS backwash. Ultrafiltration membrane's irreversible fouling-induced pore blockage and gel layer frequently reduce membrane lifespan. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) can generate free radicals under appropriate catalysts, offering a promising strategy for membrane fouling control. This study developed a MnTiO 3 -modified catalytic ceramic ultrafiltration membrane (MTPCM) via an impregnation-drawing-sintering process. MTPCM achieved a BSA rejection >92%, attributed to dynamic cake layer formation and fouling-induced pore constriction. Higher membrane pressure, greater pollutant concentration, and longer filtration duration enhanced BSA removal by accelerating filter cake layer formation. Under optimized PMS backwash conditions (1 bar, 30 min, pH 7), the cleaning efficiency reached ∼60% after five cycles, approximately 2.3 times higher than that of water backwash (∼26%). Furthermore, an intermittent backwash strategy (four water backwashes followed by one PMS backwash) was evaluated: the MTPCM maintained ∼50% of its initial flux after 15 h of operation (three cycles), demonstrating stable multi-cycle performance with reduced PMS consumption. Hermia membrane fouling model analysis suggests that PMS backwash plays an important role in reducing irreversible fouling and may contribute to maintaining membrane performance during cyclic operation.