The membrane filtration process is a physical process that separates molecules of different sizes and characteristics. In membrane filtration, a single stream of fluid is passed through a membrane which separates the single stream into two- the permeate and the retentate.
The membrane has special characteristics and allows only certain particles to pass through it. However, there’s more to the process than we know about.
What Are The Different Types Of Membrane Filtration?
There are four types of membrane filtration, categorised based on the size of the materials that are required to be separated from the water sample.
Here are the four types:
a. Reverse Osmosis- Uses the most impermeable membrane in a liquid separation where only water can pass through it. All the other materials like fats, spores, salts, sugars and minerals are left behind.
b. Nanofiltration- The membrane allows smaller ions to pass through it, whereas the larger ions and organic compounds are all left out.
c. Ultrafiltration- The membrane here has larger pores, and the pressure is low. The ions of salts, smaller peptides, sugars and organic acids are allowed to pass, while the polysaccharides are not.
d. Microfiltration- This membrane prevents the passage of only the suspended solids and bacteria.
What Is The Application Of Membrane Filtration?
With technological advancement, membrane filtration setups have been used extensively in various industrial, biochemical and even domestic sectors. It plays a big role in wastewater treatment and remediation of toxic chemicals in water like PFAS Water Treatment.
It is also used up in the preparation of ultrapure water and desalination. It is used for urine and faeces, urban sewage and wastewater treatment.
Industrially it is used in the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, food, paper, pharmaceutical and dairy products.
For domestic purposes, it is used in ultrafiltration water purifiers capable of removing colloids, large molecules, proteins and other suspended particles in the water.
How Is Installation of Membrane Systems Effective for Treating Drinking Water?
Here are some benefits of utilising the membrane systems:
a. No separate coagulant required: The raw water used for drinking from rivers, reservoirs or eutrophic lakes is passed through the MF membrane without any coagulant, and for a traditional way of purification, a coagulant is used during precipitation and filtration. It has been observed that the quality of water treated in these two different ways is almost similar.
b. Automated and easy management: The traditional treatment methods involve a lot of steps in the process of coagulation, sedimentation and filtration of the purified drinking water. At the same time, membrane filtration systems involve no such complicated steps.
It requires a specific operating pressure and needs to be run for a long time to get the final purified water. It is, therefore, straightforward to automate the process and make it independent of human interference, which is not the same as the conventional process.
c. The Membrane Systems require less area: Adoption of Membrane Systems Australia requires a lesser amount of area in comparison to the conventional water treatment plants. It uses up half the area used by traditional water treatment plants while purifying the same volume of water.
Also, the membrane systems do not require men to operate, so the area needed to provide residence and other facilities to employees can also be reduced.
Conclusion!
Membrane Systems Australia has water management specialists who would understand your needs according to your field. If you wish to know about membrane filtration systems, then feel free to contact them.
