In order to meet stringent water reuse standards, pharma and chemical industries are looking for finding a cost-effective solution to treat the reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate and improving the overall RO system recovery. Nowadays that zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is attracting more and more attention, the combination of tubular UF with chemical precipitation processes turns up as a successful and efficient solution for brine recovery.
Cost-efficient chemical process: the implementation of tubular UF instead of the conventional clarifiers allows reducing the chemical dosing and avoids the use of flocculants.
Tubular UF removes all the solids and colloids coming from the previous precipitation process. UF permeate is directed to a post-RO system within the ZLD strategy, reaching a minimum discharge and getting a maximum reuse of water.
Berghof UF systems replace the clarifiers and posterior microfilters. The footprint required is minimized.
When precipitation at high pH conditions is required, the Berghof CR membranes provide a robust solution, with proven long-term performance and minimum maintenance and replacement costs.
Berghof UF systems replace the clarifiers and posterior microfilters. The footprint required is minimized.
When precipitation at high pH conditions is required, the Berghof CR membranes provide a robust solution, with proven long-term performance and minimum maintenance and replacement costs.
The brine generated in the production of high-quality process water is recovered in a process combining the chemical precipitation and the tubular ultrafiltration. The first precipitation step is carried out with the addition of chemicals (NaOH, Na2CO3…) for increasing the pH and promoting the precipitation of ionic pollutants (hardness, sulphates…).
The tubular modules with chemical resistant membranes are connected to a concentration tank, producing a permeate with greatly reduced dissolved compounds and a reject containing a high concentration of precipitated species. This reject is dewatered in a filter press. The UF permeate, after neutralization, is treated in a second RO step. The ZLD is therefore achieved: the high-quality RO permeate is reused, and the RO reject returns to the head of the brine recovery process.
Kunshan Zhong Yan Company, located in Kunshan City in China’s Jiangsu province, manufactures 600,000 tons of sodium carbonate (also known as “soda ash”) per year. Sodium carbonate serves multiple purposes in both domestic and industrial applications – widely used as a water softener, as a component in the manufacture of glass, a common additive used in swimming pools, and as an ingredient in certain foods, just to name a few.
