Typical Applications

Filter Innovations Membrane Systems offers high performance ultrafiltration systems for treating a variety of wastewater.

Filter Innovations Ultrafiltration systems provide effective waste treatment or product recovery for industrial applications, which include:

Oily Wastewater Treatment Using Membrane Filtration

Wastewater containing oil is generated as a result of many different types of manufacturing. Some common processes generating oily wastewater are: metal cutting and forming operations, pressure washing, metal finishing, food manufacturing, printing, and machine lubrication. Businesses generating such wastewaters are more frequently not allowed to discharge to sewer. In such cases, a waste generator has two choices: pay a waste disposal company to pick up and dispose of the waste, or treat the wastewater on site and either reuse or recycle the treated water.

More and more companies are finding it attractive to treat their waste at its source for the following reasons:

CRADLE TO GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY

The waste generator's liability does not end when the waste disposal company assumes possession of the wastewater. The generator may be held liable if the waste is not processed and disposed of properly. Many firms wish to minimize their exposure to such undefined and unlimited liability. This may be accomplished through gaining control and responsibility for the treatment process.

RECYCLING CAPABILITY

The trend is towards a a greater degree of recycling and higher amount of resource utilization. By treating the wastewater on site, valuable constituents of the waste may be recovered for reuse, or the water itself may be treated to the point of being acceptable for reuse in the manufacturing operation. For many types  of oily wastewaters, on site treatment using membrane filtration is the best available and lowest cost technology.

Typical Treatment Process

In a typical waste treatment process, wastewater is collected in an equalization tank from which free-floating oil and settleable solids are removed. The remaining wastewater is transferred to a process tank to be pumped and re-circulated through the membrane modules at about 65 psig (4.5 bar). In both batch or semi-batch processes, permeate will be discharged while wastewater continues to be concentrated. Most installations operate on a one-week cycle, at which time the process may be halted for cleaning.

SPENT MACHINE SHOP COOLANTS

Spent water soluble coolants such as Trim Sol, Blaso Cut, Cimcool, and the like must eventually be discarded. Typically, these coolants are 5% oil and 95% water. If this material is to be hauled away, 95% of the fee is for the disposal of water. In these cases, a UF system Is used to separate most of the water from the oil thereby reducing the hauling expenses and waste disposal fees by at least 90%. When desirable, the UF permeate may be further treated using activated carbon or reverse osmosis to permit the reuse of water originally present In the coolant.

MOP WATER/FLOOR WASHINGS

Dirty water generated from floor washers and scrubbing machines typically contains small amounts of oil and grease, and dirt from the work surround­ings. Ultrafiltration is used to concentrate the oil and grease in the dirty water. Separating the water from the oil and grease reduces waste disposal expenses and permits the reuse of the soap solution.

FLEXOGRAPHIC INK WASHUP WATER

Corrugated boxes, paper and plastic bags, flexible films, labels, and business forms are commonly printed using water based flexographic ink. The clean­ing of these printing presses generates a wastewater containing dilute ink. In many sewer districts, such wastewater is not allowed in the sewer system. Therefore. the printer must either pay for waste disposal. or treat the waste­water on site. Ultrafiltration is used to separate the water from the ink, allowing for reuse of the water or its discharge to drain. In some instances, the recovered inks may be reused in the printing process.

PRESSURE WASHER EFFLUENT

Pressure washers are used for cleaning in a wide variety of industrial situations. For example, a pressure washer is used to clean lubricating oils from conveyor equipment used in a beverage packaging plant. The oily wastewater generated from this daily cleaning operation may be treated with ultrafiltration, enabling the packager to comply with applicable sewer use permits. Other pressure washer wastes treated with ultrafiltration are: fork lift washing, electrical machinery refurbishment, engine rebuilding, and fabricated metal degreasing.

FOOD PROCESSING

Wastewaters generated in the food processing industry generally contain dilute amounts of protein, fat, oil, and sugars. All of these are easily and economically separable from water using membrane filtration. A membrane system is more economical and reliable than conventional treatment equipment and takes up less space. The food products recovered from the wastewater may often be sold by the generator as animal feed or inedible oil feedstock. Major food processors such as Nabisco and Borden are using membranes for treatment of food processing wastewater.

AIR COMPRESSOR CONDENSATE

In order for downstream equipment to function properly, compressed air must be free of moisture. As compressed air is dried, the water leaves the air as a dilute mixture of lubricating oils and water. As with other oily wastewaters, this compressor condensate is of increasing concern to local sewer authorities. Ultrafiltration serves as effective and reliable separation of compressor lubricants from water.

METAL FINISHING

Metals and plastics must be thoroughly cleaned of oil, grease, and dirt prior to painting. plating. or other surface finishing operations. These cleaning procedures generate rinse waters containing dilute amounts of oil carried out of the final rinses which are treated by ultrafiltration for discharge to sewer.

Metals and plastics are cleaned using alkaline degreasing baths. As the concentration of oil and grease in the degreasing bath increases, the cleaner efficiency diminishes. Ultrafiltration is used as a kidney for the continuous removal of contaminants from cleaner baths. By maintaining bath contami­nants at consistently low levels. metal finishers are able to increase bath life, raAse product quality, and lower energy consumption.