Chlorine dioxide is known not to cause oxidation of SWRO membranes. However, equipment for onsite generation of chlorine dioxide is also known to potentially produce sodium hypochlorite, which could cause loss of membrane integrity over time. Any full-scale experience?
We have enough freshwater in Denmark so I don't have experience with desalination membranes. I did work a bit on chlorine dioxide and there are many methods to produce chlorine dioxide without hypochlor: Chlorite with acid or chlorite with persulphate.
There might be a production of hypochlor from chlor dioxide oxidising chloride in the seawater. It is likely concentration dependant so not very important if you use ClO2 continuously at a low concentration as antifouling, but of more concern if you use it for cleaning the membrane.
You could prevent damage from hypochlor by adding another chemical that react with hypochlor but not chlorine dioxide.
Here's a study from Aleix and Enric, looking at the reactions and byproducts using ClO2 in the presence of ferric. ClO2 is used at TBW (as you know!) These were proceedings from the 2015 AWWA conference in Orlando, Fl.
