Fundamentals of Reverse Osmosis, Nanofiltration, UltraFiltration & Micro Filtration.
GEA Niro division of GEA Process Engineering Ltd are a leading supplier of membrane filtration equipment across the process industries.
Membrane, or cross flow, filtration differs from conventional filtration techniques as the feed flows tangentially across a membrane surface the characteristics of which controls the separation process.
Cross flow filtration is ideally suited to a wide range of separation processes in the chemical, dairy, food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as waste water treatment and desalination.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis is the tightest of membrane separation techniques operating in the ionic range. The membrane is capable of retaining low molecular weight salts and allowing the passage of water of a high quality. Within the process industries it is used extensively for concentration of low molecular weight material and for product recovery from waste water as well as for polishing evaporator condensate.
Nanofiltration
Nanofiltration membranes offer some unique properties allowing the passage of monovalent ions and small organic molecules e.g. alcohol whilst retaining polyvalent ions and sugars .The membrane is widely used for demineralisation and colour removal and in the pharmaceutical for the concentration and purification of APIs as well as the partial demineratilisation and concentration of whey.
Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration is a selective fractionation process within the molecular range. and is used therefore as both a fractionation and concentration process. Typically membranes are available in both polymeric and ceramic material with molecular weight cut off from 1 – 100.
Ultrafiltration is widely used for the fraction of milk and whey and in protein fractionation.
Microfiltration
Microfiltration is a low-pressure cross-flow membrane process for separating colloidal and suspended particles in the range of 0.05-10 microns. Microfiltration is used for fermentation, broth clarification and biomass clarification and recovery, as well as the removal of bacteria. Microfiltration membranes are available in ceramic and polymeric material.
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