A preliminary assessment of forward osmosis to extract water from rumen fluid for artificial saliva

Abstract

This study explored the use of forward osmosis for extracting water from rumen fluid to replicate the function of the ruminant digestive system. A recipe for artificial saliva was used to prepare draw solution for extracting water from rumen fluid. The osmotic pressure of artificial saliva and rumen fluid were compared to determine the reference artificial saliva solution. High water flux and a low reverse solute flux (RSF) were observed using artificial saliva concentration as a draw solution and clean water as the feed. Water flux decreased and the RSF increased when using rumen fluid as the feed due to membrane fouling.

Keywords

• Forward osmosis
• Rumen fluid
• Artificial saliva
• Water flux
• Reverse solute flux