Waterfare

• Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water.
• Water is forced through a semipermeable membrane that has tiny pores, which allows water molecules to pass through but blocks contaminants such as salts, bacteria, and other impurities.

Applications:

• Desalination of seawater.
• Purification of drinking water.
• Industrial processes that require high-purity water.

Key Features:

Requires high pressure to push water through the membrane.

Removes up to 99%  of dissolved salts (ions), particles, colloids, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens.

Ultrafiltration uses a membrane filtration process similar to reverse osmosis but with larger pore sizes. Water is forced through a semipermeable membrane with pores that are typically in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 micrometers.

It blocks particles, colloids, and larger molecules such as proteins and bacteria but allows water and small dissolved solutes to pass through.

Applications:

• Drinking water treatment.
• Wastewater treatment.
• Food and beverage industry for processing and clarification.

Key Features:

• Removes bacteria, viruses, and high molecular weight substances.
• Operates at lower pressure compared to RO.
• Does not remove dissolved salts or small molecules.

Nanofiltration is a membrane filtration process that lies between reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration in terms of pore size and removal capabilities. Water is forced through a semipermeable membrane with pore sizes typically in the range of 0.001 to 0.01 micrometers.

It removes multivalent ions (like calcium and magnesium) and larger organic molecules while allowing monovalent ions (like sodium and chloride) to pass through to some extent.

Applications:

• Softening of water.
• Removal of specific contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals.
• Food and beverage processing.

Key Features:

• Removes divalent and larger ions, bacteria, viruses, and some natural organic matter.
• Operates at moderate pressure, higher than UF but lower than RO.

Microfiltration is a low-pressure membrane filtration process used to separate suspended particles and microorganisms from liquids. Water is forced through a membrane with pore sizes typically in the range of 0.1 to 10 micrometers.

It removes particleElectrodialysis is a membrane-based separation process that uses an electric potential to drive the separation of charged ions from water. Water flows through a stack of alternating cation-exchange and anion-exchange membranes. An electric field is applied across the membranes, causing cations to migrate towards the cathode and anions to migrate towards the anode. The ions are trapped in concentrate streams, leaving behind purified water.s, sediments, algae, protozoa, and some bacteria.

Applications:

• Clarification of beverages like wine and beer.
• Pre-treatment for other filtration processes like RO.
• Wastewater treatment and reuse.

Key Features:

• Removes larger particles and microorganisms but not dissolved substances or small pathogens like viruses.
• Operates at low pressure, making it energy-efficient.

• Electrodialysis is a membrane-based separation process that uses an electric potential to drive the separation of charged ions from water.
• Water flows through a stack of alternating cation-exchange and anion-exchange membranes.
• An electric field is applied across the membranes, causing cations to migrate towards the cathode and anions to migrate towards the anode. The ions are trapped in concentrate streams, leaving behind purified water.

Applications:

• Desalination of brackish water.
• Demineralization of process streams in the food and beverage industry.
• Treatment of wastewater to remove ionic contaminants.

Key Features:

Suitable for applications where the reduction of ion concentration is required.

Efficiently removes dissolved salts and other charged species.

Operates at relatively low pressure.

Electrodeionization combines ion-exchange resins with electrodialysis to continuously remove ions from water, producing high-purity water. Water flows through a module containing ion-exchange resins and ion-exchange membranes.

An electric field is applied, causing ions to migrate through the resins and membranes. The resins are continuously regenerated by the electric field, allowing for continuous operation without the need for chemical regenerants.

Applications:

• Production of ultrapure water for semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and power industries.
• Polishing of water after reverse osmosis.
• Laboratory water systems requiring high-purity water.

Key Features:

• Produces very high-purity water (resistivity up to 18.2 MΩ·cm).
• Continuous and chemical-free operation.
• High efficiency in removing ionized and ionizable species.

Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes is a process that uses bipolar membranes to generate acid and base from salt solutions, driven by an electric potential.

Water flows through a stack of bipolar membranes, cation-exchange membranes, and anion-exchange membranes. Bipolar membranes split water molecules into hydrogen (H+) and hydroxide (OH-) ions.

Under the influence of an electric field, these ions combine with the ions from the salt solution to form acid and base streams.

Applications:

• Production of acids and bases from salt solutions without the need for chemical additives.
• Recycling of acids and bases in industrial processes.
• Treatment of industrial effluents to recover valuable products.

Key Features:

• Generates acid and base directly from salts and water.
• Reduces the need for chemical additives in acid/base production.
• Applicable in closed-loop systems for industrial waste treatment and resource recovery.