Applications of Atec membrane filtration systems

Membrane filtration systems can be applied in different fields for the treatment of water and other (industrial) fluids. A rough classification into the following four fields of use can can be made:

Membrane filtration for industrial process fluids

Membrane filtration is able to remove oil, particles, bacteria and even dissolved substances, depending on the selected membrane type and its respective pore size. The cleaning, treatment and reuse of industrial process fluids is a very broad field of application with highly diverse tasks.

The branches of industry and the applications are as diverse as the liquids themselves. Examples are the treatment of water based cleanign and degreasing baths, DI-water based rinsings baths as well as the treatment and reuse of caustic soda. Depending on the application, individual tasks and requirements for a membrane filtration system can be defined.

For most of our industrial customers, besides the effectiveness and operating cost efficiency, what made the chose to invest in an Atec membrane filtration system was the little space requirement and the high degree of automation.

Membrane filtration for process water treatment

In process water treatment (in contrast to the above mentioned “industrial process fluids”), the focus is on the treament of water as such. The water contains only little to no chemical additives (e.g. biocides). A typical application is the treatment of cooling water. Initially, the cooling water has to be produced through the treatment of raw water (well water, surface water, tab water,…). Later on, it may be necessary to treat the cooling water circulating in the cooling process. Membrane systems can remove contaminants which get into the water through the production process (e.g. oil). At the same time, they remove bacteria (e.g. legionella) and other microorganisms which present a problem, especially for open cooling circuits.

Membrane filtration for drinking water treatment

In drinking water treatment, membrane filtration (with polymeric membranes and with ceramic membranes) replaces traditional treament steps (e.g. sand filtration) more and more. The focus is on the reliable removal of contaminants, such as turbidity, particles, bacteria, parasites and possibly also virus. Compared to polymeric membrane filtration systems, the use of ceramic microfiltration membranes offers the following advantages: increased robustness, increased yield / recovery rate and reduced space consumption.

Besides stationary and permanent applications, membrane systems can be installed as mobile systems inside a container. Also in disaster relief and development aid, drinking water treament is of high importance.

Membrane filtration for industrial wastewater treatment

The primary target of the treatment of industrial wastewater is the compliance with regularory discharge limits. Every industrial company has to comply with certain discharge limits, both in case of direct discharge into a water body and in case of indirect discharge into the sewer.

Example – food industry:
In the food industry, often turbidity, lipophilic substances (fat, oil, grease) and COD have to be reduced before discharge. A micro or ultrafiltration system with ceramic membranes is excellent for this tast. Such a system can be used as a stand alone unit or combined with other treatment steps (e.g. DAF flotation system).

In case the wastewater is treated to such a degree that it can be reused within the (same) industrial process, such an application can be regarded as recycling of industrial fluids (in contrast to a disposal-oriented “wastewater” treatment).

Examples of applications of membrane filtration systems

Atec follows a very application-oriented approach, so the concrete application and the resulting customer benefit are our focus always. Below you will find an overview of concrete examples of application of Atec membrane filtration systems. It is merely meant to be a selection which shows the versatility of membrane filtration.