Ultra-filtration Plants
low-pressure membrane process used to separate bacteria, viruses, and high molecular weight compounds colloidal and particulate matters from a feed stream
Concept of Ultra-filtration
Ultrafiltration is a low-pressure membrane process used to separate bacteria, viruses, and high molecular weight compounds colloidal and particulate matters from a feed stream. Ultrafiltration has larger pores and high permeability with less osmotic effects that allow ultrafiltration to operate at a relatively lower pressure than nanofiltration and reverse osmosis and is therefore it is least costly to operate.
Ultrafiltration is widely used in industry as pre-treatment for other forms of purification
such as ion exchange and reverse osmosis. Hollow fiber configuration is widely used in the ultrafiltration processes. The benefit of this construction is that it allows for the backwashing of the membrane when the filtrate or product flow rate has decreased due to the accumulation of material on the membrane. The ultrafiltration membrane is capable of removing colloidal materials, fine suspensions, bacteria, viruses, suspended material, and large dissolved molecular weight organic materials.
Applications of Ultrafiltration
- Pre-treatment to RO system (brackish and seawater applications)
- Membrane bioreactor
- Wastewater Recycle and reuse
Advantages
- UF membranes are available in different sizes, making the process suitable for many different separations
- Because UF separates, without phase change, energy consumption is low varying with application
- With UF separation and concentration can be performed at low pressures, conversions can be high, colloids can be effectively removed and macromolecular species can be easily concentrated.
- UF is particularly suitable to applications involving temperature-sensitive materials
- UF systems are simple and compact. The operation can be restored relatively easily after shutdown