What Water Quality Data Is Needed Before Designing a Membrane System?
Membrane systems are widely used in industrial water treatment, wastewater reuse, desalination, RO pretreatment and high-salinity wastewater concentration. However, a membrane system cannot be properly designed without basic water quality data. The first important parameter is flow rate. Engineers need to know average flow, peak flow and daily operating hours. This affects membrane area, pump […]
Oil-Water Separation in Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Oil-containing wastewater is common in petrochemical plants, oilfields, power plants, coal chemical production, metal processing and some food processing industries. If oil is not properly removed, it can affect downstream biological treatment, membrane systems, reuse processes and discharge compliance. Oil in wastewater may exist in different forms: free oil, dispersed oil, emulsified oil and oil […]
STRO Membranes for High-Salinity Wastewater: Basic Introduction
STRO, or special tubular reverse osmosis, is a type of membrane process used in some high-salinity or difficult wastewater applications. Compared with conventional spiral-wound RO elements, STRO systems are often considered for wastewater streams with higher fouling tendency or higher operating pressure requirements. Typical applications may include RO concentrate treatment, landfill leachate, high-salinity wastewater, industrial […]
Membrane-Based Ammonia Removal: What Project Owners Should Know
High-ammonia wastewater is common in chemical, fertilizer, landfill leachate, coking, pharmaceutical, food processing and some industrial production processes. Traditional ammonia removal methods may include biological treatment, air stripping, chemical precipitation or other processes. Membrane-based ammonia removal is another technical route. In this process, ammonia in water is transferred across a hydrophobic membrane and absorbed by […]
PTFE Membranes in Wastewater Treatment: Typical Applications
PTFE membranes are made from polytetrafluoroethylene, a material known for chemical resistance and hydrophobic properties. In wastewater treatment, PTFE membranes may be used in different forms, including microfiltration, ultrafiltration, MBR membrane modules and membrane contactors. One application is MBR wastewater treatment. PTFE membrane modules can be used for solid-liquid separation in biological treatment systems. They […]
When Should Industrial Plants Consider Ceramic Membrane Filtration?
Ceramic membrane filtration is often considered in industrial water treatment projects where feed water quality is complex, variable or difficult for conventional filtration systems. Industrial plants may consider ceramic membranes when they face frequent membrane fouling, unstable RO pretreatment, high turbidity, high suspended solids or repeated failure of organic membranes. Ceramic membranes can also be […]
What to Consider Before Choosing a ZLD Pretreatment Process
Zero Liquid Discharge, or ZLD, is used in industries where wastewater discharge needs to be minimized or where water recovery is important. A complete ZLD system may include pretreatment, membrane concentration, evaporation, crystallization and solids handling. Pretreatment is one of the most important parts of a ZLD system. If pretreatment is not properly designed, downstream […]
Common Challenges in Cooling Tower Blowdown Treatment
Cooling tower blowdown is one of the common wastewater streams in industrial plants. It usually contains higher concentrations of dissolved salts, hardness, suspended solids, silica, corrosion inhibitors, organic matter and other substances accumulated during cooling water circulation. For many factories, treating cooling tower blowdown is not simple. The water quality may change with production load, […]
How Ceramic Membranes Help Reduce SDI Before RO Systems
SDI, or Silt Density Index, is an important indicator used to evaluate the fouling potential of water entering an RO system. High SDI usually means the water contains suspended particles, colloids or other fine contaminants that may block or foul RO membranes. Ceramic membranes can be used as a pretreatment technology to reduce turbidity and […]
Why RO Pretreatment Matters in Industrial Water Treatment
Reverse osmosis is widely used in industrial water treatment, desalination, wastewater reuse and high-purity water production. However, RO membranes are sensitive to fouling, scaling and suspended solids. Without proper pretreatment, an RO system may face frequent cleaning, pressure increase, reduced permeate flow and shorter membrane life. RO pretreatment is designed to protect the RO system. […]