Wastewater treamtent in food industry

Removal of suspended solids and fat / oil / grease

Micro and ultrafiltration membranes are used for the removal of suspended solids (turbidity) as well as fat, oil and grease. Depending on the characteristics of the application there are different types of filtration systems and membranes which can be used.

Special task: Dissolved COD

The objective for micro and ultrafiltration systems is the removal of suspended matter and oil / fat (which may be emulsionized). By that the COD and BOD of the wastewater is reduced. In general a great deal of the COD / BOD is dissolved in the wastewater. Only by means of nanofiltration this can be eliminated.

Very robust ceramic nanofiltration membranes allow to remove dissolved solids from the water. Nanofiltration can be applied directly or after a pre-filtration by means of micro or ultrafiltration units.

Permeate and concentrate – Both valuable substances

The filtrate / permeate can be discharged into the sewer or outlet channel. By that the client saves costs for the surcharge for heavy polluters. Depending on the kind of wastewater and the type of filtration, the permeate can be reused in the process. Recycling allows to reduce the amount of water and wastewater.

No matter which kind of filtration is used, there will always be permeate and concentrate. The concentrate has a high organics content and thus is energy rich. It can be used as a substrate in biogas plants.

Ceramic membranes – Easy cleaning and sanitizing

In the food industry hygiene comes first. This is why the cleaning and disinfection of all systems and components is very important. In the food sector Atec generally applies ceramic membranes. These are very robust with regard to temperature, pH and oxidizing agents (e.g. chlorine). This allows for a high degree of flexibility in the choice of cleaning methods / CIP. Neither high temperatures nor chlorine compounds present a problem to ceramic membranes. In this they differ from classic plastic membranes (polymeric membranes) and especially from spiral wound modules.

Ceramic memranes are chemically and biologically inert. There is no reaction between the membrane material and the medium to be filtered. The retained bacteria can neither clog the membrane irreversibly nor damade its structure. This makes ceramics ideal for the application in the food industry.

Benefits from wastewater treatment in the food industry

  • Savings on drinking water / DI water
  • Savings on energy for hot water, cold water, “ice water”
  • Reduction of the amount of wastewater
  • Harvesting of a energy rich concentrate (e.g. for use in biogas plants)

Benefits from Atec filtration systems

  • Application of robust ceramic membranes – easy cleaning and sanitizing
  • Low energy consumption
  • Small footprint