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Reverse osmosis leachate treatment plant in UK
News and Views to have a high t h e r m o m e c h a n i c a l stability, as it was not disintegrated b y the thermal treatment in vacuo or calcination needed to remove the TPABr. Pervaporation of a n a q u e o u s ethanol solution was investigated. The p u r e silicalite m e m b r a n e was found to exhibit high ethanol permselectivity with a separation factor = (EtOH/H20) of more t h a n 60 for a 5voi% a q u e o u s ethanol solution at 30°C. This indicated that there were no cracks a n d pores between the silicalite grains, as this would have affected performance. Adsorption experIments showed a selective sorption of ethanol into the membrane. This high hydrophobic property e n h a n c e s the high ethanol permselectlvity of the membrane.
Further Informatlon from: Tsunefl Sano, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Tatsunokuchl, Ishlkawa 923-12, Japan.
Book on water use and re-use A book entitled ' Water Use a n d Re-Use' h a s Just been published b y the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers. Edited by David Newton a n d George Solt, the chapters of the book are b a s e d on papers presented at a conference organized b y the North Western b r a n c h of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, in co-operation with the Institution's Specialist Water Group, a n d held at UMIST, Manchester, UK, on 19 October 1994. The book examines what can be done to minimize the use of water in the process industries, a n d work towards zero a q u e o u s discharge. The first chapter addresses the question 'Is zero a q u e o u s discharge a practical option?', a n d looks at the driving forces, the practicalities, a n d the technologies available, etc. The next chapter looks at the m e a n s by which efficient use a n d re-use of water c a n be achieved in industrial applications. Case studies illustrate the concepts a n d techniques employed. Chapter 3 outlines a new and systematic a p p r o a c h to identifying all water a n d waste reduction opportunities, which h a s been developed by UMIST a n d Linhoff March over the last two years. A waste minimization demonstration project (Project Catalyst) sponsored by the UK Department of Trade and i n d u s t r y (DTI) a n d the BOC Foundation for the Environment is the subject of Chapter 4. The project r a n for 16 m o n t h s u p to April 1994, a n d identified potential savings of £8.9 million/year. Ion selective m e m b r a n e s are covered in Chapter 5. These m e m b r a n e s c a n be used for the recovery of chemicals and metals, a n d various examples of their applications in processing industries are presented.
Membrane Technology No. 55
The final chapter outlines the ROMIC project (Reverse Osmosis Membranes in Cooling towers), initiated b y ICI personnel working on m e m b r a n e technology projects in 1992. The project is due to finish in December 1994 a n d the final report will be available from the E u r o p e a n Commission. C o n t a m i n a n t s gradually build u p in cooling tower water, a n d so the water is p u r g e d to drain to control corrosivity. Purged water contains a relatively high level of dissolved a n d s u s p e n d e d solids, a s well as dissolved water treatment chemicals. Minimizing the m a k e u p water costs is becoming more Important, a n d reverse osmosis c a n be used in two ways. Treatment of the circulating water u s i n g RO h a s potential, but treatment of the m a k e u p water greatly reduces the a m o u n t of water purged. From pilot plant studies, the economics of the processes were looked at. The use of RO on cooling water gave considerably better rates of r e t u r n t h a n its use on feed water. The book (ISBN 0 85295 357 7) h a s 116 pages, a n d costs £24.
Further information from: Jacqueline Wilson, The Institution of Chemical Engineers, 165-189 Railway Terrace, Rugby CV21 3HQ, UK. Tel: 01788 578214. Fax: 01788 547262.
Reverse osmosis leachate treatment plant in UK Humberside Wastewise Waste Management Services h a s commissioned the first leachate treatment plant in the UK to use the Rochem patented disc tube reverse osmosis system. The leachate treatment process h a s been designed a n d m a n u f a c t u r e d by Rochem Separation Systems for the Winterton landfill site in South Humberside. The m e m b r a n e system used removes heavy metals, Red List s u b s t a n c e s a n d other s u s p e n d e d solids, a m m o n i a a n d h a z a r d o u s non-degradable organics, leaving purified water capable of meeting strict discharge standards. The Winterton plant h a s been designed to operate 24 h o u r s a day. The reverse osmosis system can treat 1500 litres of raw leachate a n h o u r and it is c o n t a i n e r - h o u s e d m a k i n g it compact, secure and mobile. The heart of the system is the patented Disc Tube array. This comprises of a cylinder containing fiat, octagonal, Iong-lastlng m e m b r a n e c u s h i o n s within a c o l u m n of discs, capable of treating raw leachate which would quickly block conventional reverse osmosis m e m b r a n e systems.
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News and Views Leachate is fed into the unit u n d e r c o n t i n u o u s pressure, following aeration a n d pH adjustment. As contaminated leachate flows t h r o u g h the columns of discs a n d over m e m b r a n e surfaces it is separated by reverse osmosis into purified water which p a s s e s t h r o u g h the m e m b r a n e , a n d a concentrated waste, rejected by the membrane. Operation of the system is economical b e c a u s e it is automatic with a n integral built in cleaning system. Because the pressurized flow of leachate is made turbulent over the m e m b r a n e surfaces, the t e n d e n c y to scale or foul is greatly reduced. This allows for longer r u n times before cleaning is required. The t r e a t m e n t process is already in use worldwide, particularly in Europe. A recent installation b y Rochem in Germany, at Ihlenberg landfill in Sch6nberg, is treating a leachate feed of 50 000 litres a n h o u r with a recovery rate of over 90%.
Further Information from: Rochem Separation Systems Lid, Wentworth House, I Wentworth Gate, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 6XD, UK. Tel: 0937 584478. Humberside Wastewise Waste Management Services Ltd, Riverview Road, Beverly, North Humberside HU17 OLD, UK. Tel: 0482 883333. Fax: 0482 883325.
Membrane Separations Technology Course A course on the technology of m e m b r a n e separation processes t h r o u g h presentation of the physical principles involved, m e m b r a n e fabrication techniques, a n d plant design m e t h o d s will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 2 0 - 2 3 February 1995. The course c a n be attended as a one, three or four day option, covering microfiltration, ultraflltratlon, reverse osmosis, gas separations a n d pervaporation, a n d electrodlalysls.
Further Informatlon from: The Center for Professional Advancement, Oudezgds Voorburgwal 316A, 1012 GM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 638 28 06. Fax: +31 20 620 21 36.
New z e o l i t e membranes formed Researchers at the polymer chemistry group in the School of Chemistry at Manchester University, UK, were working with Unllever on controlling the formation a n d morphology of zeolites when they discovered that they h a d made new zeolite m e m b r a n e s , reports Process Engineering. Previous attempts at m a k i n g zeolite m e m b r a n e s involved allowing the zeolites to settle out onto a support. The m e m b r a n e s formed by this m e t h o d were very thick, a n d were prone to defects a n d fouling. Possible applications of the new m e m b r a n e s could include gas separation reactions s u c h as dehydrogenation, but although early work looks promising further research is needed. If the work is successful, the zeolite m e m b r a n e s should have very high temperature stability a n d selectivity compared with polymeric membranes. However, the flux rates m a y be restricted.
Segment of Rochem membrane module
Further information from: Dr Peter Budd, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Tel: 061 275 4600.
Further Informatlon from: Tsunefl Sano, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Tatsunokuchl, Ishlkawa 923-12, Japan.
Book on water use and re-use A book entitled ' Water Use a n d Re-Use' h a s Just been published b y the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers. Edited by David Newton a n d George Solt, the chapters of the book are b a s e d on papers presented at a conference organized b y the North Western b r a n c h of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, in co-operation with the Institution's Specialist Water Group, a n d held at UMIST, Manchester, UK, on 19 October 1994. The book examines what can be done to minimize the use of water in the process industries, a n d work towards zero a q u e o u s discharge. The first chapter addresses the question 'Is zero a q u e o u s discharge a practical option?', a n d looks at the driving forces, the practicalities, a n d the technologies available, etc. The next chapter looks at the m e a n s by which efficient use a n d re-use of water c a n be achieved in industrial applications. Case studies illustrate the concepts a n d techniques employed. Chapter 3 outlines a new and systematic a p p r o a c h to identifying all water a n d waste reduction opportunities, which h a s been developed by UMIST a n d Linhoff March over the last two years. A waste minimization demonstration project (Project Catalyst) sponsored by the UK Department of Trade and i n d u s t r y (DTI) a n d the BOC Foundation for the Environment is the subject of Chapter 4. The project r a n for 16 m o n t h s u p to April 1994, a n d identified potential savings of £8.9 million/year. Ion selective m e m b r a n e s are covered in Chapter 5. These m e m b r a n e s c a n be used for the recovery of chemicals and metals, a n d various examples of their applications in processing industries are presented.
Membrane Technology No. 55
The final chapter outlines the ROMIC project (Reverse Osmosis Membranes in Cooling towers), initiated b y ICI personnel working on m e m b r a n e technology projects in 1992. The project is due to finish in December 1994 a n d the final report will be available from the E u r o p e a n Commission. C o n t a m i n a n t s gradually build u p in cooling tower water, a n d so the water is p u r g e d to drain to control corrosivity. Purged water contains a relatively high level of dissolved a n d s u s p e n d e d solids, a s well as dissolved water treatment chemicals. Minimizing the m a k e u p water costs is becoming more Important, a n d reverse osmosis c a n be used in two ways. Treatment of the circulating water u s i n g RO h a s potential, but treatment of the m a k e u p water greatly reduces the a m o u n t of water purged. From pilot plant studies, the economics of the processes were looked at. The use of RO on cooling water gave considerably better rates of r e t u r n t h a n its use on feed water. The book (ISBN 0 85295 357 7) h a s 116 pages, a n d costs £24.
Further information from: Jacqueline Wilson, The Institution of Chemical Engineers, 165-189 Railway Terrace, Rugby CV21 3HQ, UK. Tel: 01788 578214. Fax: 01788 547262.
Reverse osmosis leachate treatment plant in UK Humberside Wastewise Waste Management Services h a s commissioned the first leachate treatment plant in the UK to use the Rochem patented disc tube reverse osmosis system. The leachate treatment process h a s been designed a n d m a n u f a c t u r e d by Rochem Separation Systems for the Winterton landfill site in South Humberside. The m e m b r a n e system used removes heavy metals, Red List s u b s t a n c e s a n d other s u s p e n d e d solids, a m m o n i a a n d h a z a r d o u s non-degradable organics, leaving purified water capable of meeting strict discharge standards. The Winterton plant h a s been designed to operate 24 h o u r s a day. The reverse osmosis system can treat 1500 litres of raw leachate a n h o u r and it is c o n t a i n e r - h o u s e d m a k i n g it compact, secure and mobile. The heart of the system is the patented Disc Tube array. This comprises of a cylinder containing fiat, octagonal, Iong-lastlng m e m b r a n e c u s h i o n s within a c o l u m n of discs, capable of treating raw leachate which would quickly block conventional reverse osmosis m e m b r a n e systems.
5
News and Views Leachate is fed into the unit u n d e r c o n t i n u o u s pressure, following aeration a n d pH adjustment. As contaminated leachate flows t h r o u g h the columns of discs a n d over m e m b r a n e surfaces it is separated by reverse osmosis into purified water which p a s s e s t h r o u g h the m e m b r a n e , a n d a concentrated waste, rejected by the membrane. Operation of the system is economical b e c a u s e it is automatic with a n integral built in cleaning system. Because the pressurized flow of leachate is made turbulent over the m e m b r a n e surfaces, the t e n d e n c y to scale or foul is greatly reduced. This allows for longer r u n times before cleaning is required. The t r e a t m e n t process is already in use worldwide, particularly in Europe. A recent installation b y Rochem in Germany, at Ihlenberg landfill in Sch6nberg, is treating a leachate feed of 50 000 litres a n h o u r with a recovery rate of over 90%.
Further Information from: Rochem Separation Systems Lid, Wentworth House, I Wentworth Gate, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 6XD, UK. Tel: 0937 584478. Humberside Wastewise Waste Management Services Ltd, Riverview Road, Beverly, North Humberside HU17 OLD, UK. Tel: 0482 883333. Fax: 0482 883325.
Membrane Separations Technology Course A course on the technology of m e m b r a n e separation processes t h r o u g h presentation of the physical principles involved, m e m b r a n e fabrication techniques, a n d plant design m e t h o d s will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 2 0 - 2 3 February 1995. The course c a n be attended as a one, three or four day option, covering microfiltration, ultraflltratlon, reverse osmosis, gas separations a n d pervaporation, a n d electrodlalysls.
Further Informatlon from: The Center for Professional Advancement, Oudezgds Voorburgwal 316A, 1012 GM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 638 28 06. Fax: +31 20 620 21 36.
New z e o l i t e membranes formed Researchers at the polymer chemistry group in the School of Chemistry at Manchester University, UK, were working with Unllever on controlling the formation a n d morphology of zeolites when they discovered that they h a d made new zeolite m e m b r a n e s , reports Process Engineering. Previous attempts at m a k i n g zeolite m e m b r a n e s involved allowing the zeolites to settle out onto a support. The m e m b r a n e s formed by this m e t h o d were very thick, a n d were prone to defects a n d fouling. Possible applications of the new m e m b r a n e s could include gas separation reactions s u c h as dehydrogenation, but although early work looks promising further research is needed. If the work is successful, the zeolite m e m b r a n e s should have very high temperature stability a n d selectivity compared with polymeric membranes. However, the flux rates m a y be restricted.
Segment of Rochem membrane module
Further information from: Dr Peter Budd, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. Tel: 061 275 4600.