The European Desalination Society has added a workshop on the Silt Density Index to the satellite events around its upcoming Barcelona conference, the society confirmed in an announcement on 12 March 2012.

As well as the previously announced Solar Energy Course, the 3rd Osmosis Membrane Summit and a Desalination Short School run by Global Water Intelligence, the EDS will be hosting a one day workshop on Silt Density Index (SDI) and Modified Fouling Index (MFI) .

The workshop on SDI and MFI is a response to growing doubts about the reliability and predictive value of this test, for example:

  • results of the test vary with temperature and with membrane manufacturer
  • weak/absent correlation with fouling of reverse-osmosis and nanofiltration membranes in full-scale plants.
  • Recently, manufacturers of ultra- and microfiltration systems have been confronted with product water from their systems that frequently does not meet the required guidelines for SDI .

    The goal of the workshop is to discuss:

  • identified problems with SDI
  • how to solve these problems
  • alternative tests, eg, SDI (normalized), SDI-V and MFI(0,45)
  • predictive value of SDI and MFI(0.45)
  • MFI-UF at constant pressure and constant flux
  • predictive value MFI-UF
  • application of MFI measured with membranes with pores of 0.45 µm down to 5 kDa
  • standardization MFI-UF constant flux
  • how to predict rate of particulate fouling
  • recommendations
  • The EDS conference on Desalination for the Environment with its associated exhibition is being held in association with the Asociación Española de Desalación y Reutilización during 23-26 April 2012 at the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCBI).

    The dates/locations for the other events are:

    Desalination with Solar Energy – 3-day intensive course – 18-20 April – Almería, Spain
    Workshop SDI and MFI – 25 April – CCIB
    3rd Osmosis Membrane Summit – 26-27 April – CCIB
    GWI Desalination Short School
- 27 April – CCIB

    Details of all these events can be found at www.desline.com.