Ultrafiltration (UF) is a type of membrane filtration in which hydrostatic pressure
forces a liquid against a semipermeable membrane. A semipermeable membrane is a
thin layer of material capable of separating substances when a driving force is
applied across the membrane. Once considered a viable technology only for desalination,
membrane processes are increasingly employed for removal of bacteria and other microorganisms,
particulate material, and natural organic material, which can impart color, tastes,
and odours to the water and react with disinfectants to form disinfection byproducts
(DBP). As advancements are made in membrane production and module design, capital
and operating costs continue to decline.
Two types of membrane technologies are developed
- Hollow Fiber
- Flat Sheet
There are quite a few distinct technical advantages of flat sheet membrane technology
over hollow fiber technology however; there are limited manufacturers of such technology
throughout the world; however it’s a matter of pride that MEMBRAE FILTERS INDIA;
a Pune (Maharashtra) based organization has state of the art manufacturing facility
of such flat sheet membrane of the international quality.
Membrane Filtration has technology to make such flat sheet membranes using range
of polymers such as
Suspended solids and solutes of high molecular weight are retained, while water
and low molecular weight solutes pass through the membrane. This separation process
is used in industry and research for purifying and concentrating macromolecular
(103 - 106 Da) solutions, especially protein solutions. Ultrafiltration is not fundamentally
different from reverse osmosis, microfiltration or nano-filtration, except in terms
of the size of the molecules it retains.
When strategically combined with other purification technologies in a complete water
system, UF is ideal for the removal of colloids, proteins, bacteria, pyrogens, proteins,
and macromolecules larger than the membrane pore size from water.
The primary removal mechanism is size exclusion, though surface chemistry of the
particles or the membrane may affect the purification efficiency. UF can be used
as pretreatment for reverse osmosis systems or as a final filtration stage for deionized
water.
The primary advantages of low-pressure UF membrane processes compared with conventional
clarification and disinfection (post chlorination) processes are:
- No need for chemicals (coagulants, flocculates, disinfectants, pH adjustment)
- Size-exclusion filtration as opposed to media depth filtration
- Good and constant quality of the treated water in terms of particle and microbial
removal
- Process and plant compactness
- Simple automation
M/s Membrane Filters (I) Pvt. Ltd is constantly developing through their untiring
efforts the UF membrane of
- various polymers
- And different molecular cut offs in each polymer
And using these membrane is working on various application industries such as
- Drinking Water
- Pharmaceutical
- Municipal Sewage
- Milk and Milk Products
- Sugar Cane Juice
- Paint