Ceramic
membranes

Ceramic membrane filtration technology represents an innovative liquid filtration technology capable of removing suspended solids, oil droplets, oil emulsions, particles, heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses. The technology is used in many large-scale industrial applications to treat various types of water and wastewater. Within water treatment, membranes can remove waterborne diseases and contaminants to control and prevent diseases. Within wastewater treatment, membranes are used to comply with environmental regulations and enable wastewater reclamation and reuse for improved OPEX.

Ceramic membrane filters are made of inorganic materials such as silicon carbide, zirconia, alumina, or titania. The colloidal suspension is placed on a porous support structure, taking various dimensions such as tubular, flat sheet, and disc. These geometries enable different liquid filtration principles so various liquids can be treated most effectively.

Membranes are the heart of a water filtration system. It is a pressure-driven filtration technology that can remove unwanted particles and contaminants from various liquids. Basically, a feed stream enters the membranes, and a feed pump generates pressure. The pressure initiates the liquid purification process by forcing fluid through the membrane. This will separate the feed stream into two streams, which a called the permeate and the retentate. The permeate consists of the filtered liquid, which can pass through the porous membranes. The retentate consists of retained particles and contaminants, which are retained by the membrane.

It is a membrane’s pore size that determines which particles and contaminants a membrane can retain. The measurement of microns defines this. One micron is equal to one-millionth of a meter. A ceramic membrane can retain even the smallest particles, bacteria, and viruses.

Eventually, the surface of a membrane will get fouled with biomass from the feedwater. To remove this and restore membrane efficiency, backwash and Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) are performed.

Ceramic membrane filtration systems are both used to treat water and wastewater. They work for pretreatment and posttreatment, depending on the application and the desired permeate quality.

Within water treatment, membranes can, among others, be used for:

• Drinking water treatment to deliver clean and safe drinking water
• Pool and spa environments to remove waterborne contaminants
• Food and beverage processing to purify and concentrate liquids

Within wastewater treatment, membranes can be used for arduous industries due to their thermal, chemical, and mechanical strength. They can, among others, be used within the following industries:

• Marine
• Power plants
• Heavy metal removal
• Oil and gas
• Mining

It is a durable method, ensuring compliance with even the strictest environmental regulations and discharge limits.

Based on more than 20 years of experience within water filtration, we developed a ceramic membrane with the following unique properties:

• High flux
• Chemically inert pH 0-14
• Thermally resistant up to 800 ˚C
• Hydrophilic material
• Low power usage
• Long membrane lifetime
• Low OPEX

Contrary to many other types of membranes, this membrane can be used for aggressive fluids with acids or strong solvents thanks to its strong thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties.  This type of membrane can also withstand extremely warm liquids of up to 800 ˚C.  Moreover, it can withstand frequent chemical cleaning to obtain superior sanitation standards, which is critical in many industries to avoid contaminants, leading to operational downtime.