Synthetic Oil Sands Process Water as a Platform for Evaluating Ceramic Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis Performance

This study evaluates and optimizes treatment technologies for oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), a complex byproduct of oil sands extraction that contains hydrocarbons, salts, organic acids, and fine particles, posing significant environmental risks. Due to limited availability of bitumen in some regions, synthetic OSPW was prepared to replicate the physicochemical properties of real OSPW. The study investigated ceramic ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, comparing the performance of two ceramic types, A and B. Ceramic A, coated with SiO₂ sol, demonstrated superior oil removal efficiency and fouling resistance due to its reduced pore size and enhanced surface properties. In contrast, ceramic B, coated with hydrophilic organic acid, exhibited higher initial flux but was less effective in oil removal. Following UF pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO) processes using brackish water RO (BWRO) and seawater RO (SWRO) membranes were applied to remove oils and ions. Both systems demonstrated high removal efficiencies, with SWRO showing slightly better performance. Flux performance remained stable at high volume concentration factors, indicating the feasibility of handling concentrated OSPW. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (F-EEM) analysis confirmed the superior performance of ceramic A in removing oil, as evidenced by the low fluorescence signals of RO-treated samples. This study underscores the importance of integrating optimized UF and RO systems for effective OSPW management. The use of synthetic OSPW offers a reliable testing platform for advancing water treatment technologies and addressing complex wastewater challenges.