Reverse osmosis for home use

Reverse osmosis for home use

News and Views Ultrafiltration ensures clarity of cosmetics The Body Shop, a l e a d i n g m a n u f a c t u r e r of n a t u r a l c o s m e t i c p...

121KB Sizes 2 Downloads 287 Views

News and Views

Ultrafiltration ensures clarity of cosmetics The Body Shop, a l e a d i n g m a n u f a c t u r e r of n a t u r a l c o s m e t i c p r o d u c t s , h a s e s t a b l i s h e d a n e w ' h o m e brew' facility, for the i n - h o u s e p r o d u c t i o n of selected p r o d u c t c o n c e n t r a t e s . As p a r t of the n e w facility, the c o m p a n y h a s i n s t a l l e d a Bio-X u l t r a f l l t r a t l o n s y s t e m , s u p p l i e d b y Kalsep Ltd, for the clarification of the c o n c e n t r a t e s . At p r e s e n t , the c o m p a n y is u s i n g the n e w ' h o m e brew' facility to p r o d u c e c o n c e n t r a t e s for its p a s s i o n fruit, p e a c h a n d s a l a d b a s e d p r o d u c t s , w h i c h include cleansers, molsturisers, bath products and face c r e a m s . The I n s t a l l a t i o n of the Blo-X u l t r a f l l t r a t i o n s y s t e m ls of p a r t i c u l a r i m p o r t a n c e to the p r o c e s s a s it s e p a r a t e s a n d r e m o v e s over 99% of u n w a n t e d species, i n c l u d i n g particles, colloids, e n z y m e s a n d b a c t e r i a w h i c h are p r e s e n t in m o s t fruits. The Body S h o p h a s b r o u g h t the p r o d u c t i o n of selected c o n c e n t r a t e s i n - h o u s e , to glve it g r e a t e r c o n t r o l over b o t h q u a l i t y a n d costs, a n d p l a n s to a d d f u r t h e r c o n c e n t r a t e s d u r i n g the n e x t twelve m o n t h s . The c o n c e n t r a t e Is p r o d u c e d from a cold I n f u s i o n of the p r e p a r e d fruit. Thls is p a s s e d t h r o u g h a coarse sieve to r e m o v e the large c h u n k s of w a s t e fruit, with the r e s u l t i n g liquid b e i n g c e n t r i f u g e d to s e p a r a t e a n y solids d o w n to a p p r o x i m a t e l y 10 ~tm In size. The c o n c e n t r a t e s t h e n exits the c e n t r i f u g e to a collecting t a n k , for u l t r a f l l t r a t i o n t h r o u g h the BIo-X. The Blo-X s y s t e m I n s t a l l e d at the Body Shop ls c u r r e n t l y fitted with thee u l t r a f f l t r a t l o n m e m b r a n e m o d u l e s , w h i c h provide a c o m b i n e d t h r o u g h p u t of 5 0 0 1 of c o n c e n t r a t e per hour. In a d d i t i o n , the s y s t e m is d e s i g n e d i n a m o d u l a r format, w h i c h provides the o p t i o n to i n t r o d u c e f u r t h e r m e m b r a n e m o d u l e s , with m i n i m a l d i s r u p t i o n , s h o u l d a d d i t i o n a l c a p a c i t y be r e q u i r e d at a later date. E a c h of the BIo-X u l t r a f i l t r a t i o n m e m b r a n e s f e a t u r e s t h o u s a n d s of hollow fibres. These are l m m In d i a m e t e r a n d have a m o l e c u l a r weight c u t - o f f of 5 0 0 000. The fibres are m a n u f a c t u r e d from a p o l y s u l p h o n e m a t e r i a l a n d are p r o d u c e d u s i n g a s p i n n i n g p r o c e s s t h a t c r e a t e s single piece fibres, w h i c h are a s y m m e t r i c in d e s i g n a n d a r e free from the m a c r o v o l d s w h i c h are c o m m o n i n o t h e r hollow fibre m e m b r a n e s . As a r e s u l t , t h e fibres are free from p i n h o l e s a n d provide a high i n t e g r i t y a n d i n t r i n s i c s t r e n g t h - - a factor w h i c h is p a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t a n t to The Body S h o p a s it e n s u r e s the b e s t p o s s i b l e p e r f o r m a n c e with r e g a r d to the c a p t u r e of b a c t e r i a a n d colloids from the c o n c e n t r a t e s . The c o n c e n t r a t e is p u m p e d l o n g i t u d i n a l l y t h r o u g h the core of the Bio-X hollow fibres. The filtrate p a s s e s o u t t h r o u g h the p o r e s of the fibres a n d is d u c t e d directly to a collecting barrel, w h e r e it is sealed a n d stored u n t i l r e q u i r e d b y p r o d u c t i o n . The b a c t e r i a , e n z y m e s a n d a n y other p a r t i c l e s s u s p e n d e d i n the

M e m b r a n e T e c h n o l o g y No. 6 0

c o n c e n t r a t e are repelled b y the m e m b r a n e s u r f a c e of the hollow fibres a n d a r e r e t a i n e d ~ t h i n lts core. At p r e s e n t , the ' h o m e b r e w ' line Is s i t u a t e d In the m a i n m a n u f a c t u r i n g p l a n t , however, t h e r e are p l a n s to relocate the facility to its o w n s p e c i a l i s t a r e a w i t h i n the factory, w h e r e It wlll o p e r a t e u n d e r pharmaceutical s t a n d a r d production conditions. The move is b e i n g d o n e for two r e a s o n s . Primarily, to e n s u r e n o c r o s s c o n t a m i n a t i o n with p r o d u c t s In p r o d u c t i o n , from t h e n a t u r a l m i c r o b e s w h i c h m a y be r e l e a s e d i n t o the air d u r i n g t h e h o m e b r e w process, a n d secondly, to e n s u r e s u f f i c i e n t p r o d u c t i o n s p a c e for the line a s t h r o u g h p u t I n c r e a s e s . I n m a n y r e s p e c t s , the facility is still i n lts Infancy, b u t h a s a l r e a d y proved to b e a s u c c e s s f u l a n d feasible o p e r a t i o n for the Body Shop, h e l p i n g the c o m p a n y to c o n t i n u e lts o n - g o l n g policy of p r o d u c t I m p r o v e m e n t a n d c o r p o r a t e growth. W h e n s o u r c i n g the line, the Body S h o p c o n s i d e r e d a l t e r n a t i v e filtration technologies, I n p a r t i c u l a r , cartridge filters. However, the c o m p a n y quickly recognized t h a t cartridge filtration vcould prove too costly in t e r m s of e l e m e n t r e p l a c e m e n t a n d t h a t It c o u l d n o t achieve the level of filtrate required. The Blo-X u l t r a f l l t r a t i o n technolog.v from Kalsep, was f o u n d to be the only s y s t e m a v a i l a b l e t h a t could offer the high level of filtration n e c e s s a r y , to p r o d u c e a c o n c e n t r a t e of the clarity t h a t w a s :required.

For further information contact: Kalsep Ltd, York Town Industrial Estate, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3DF, UK. Tel: 01276 675675;fax: 01276; 676276.

Reverse osmosis for h o m e u s e D y n a m i c A q u a S c i e n c e Inc, h a s b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d b y EEC (USA) Inc, a m a n u f a c t u r e r of I n d u s t r i a l w a s t e w a t e r s y s t e m s , to provide h o m e o w n e r s with a wide variety of q u a l i t y w a t e r s y s t e m s t h a t offer safety a n d great savings. Reverse o s m o s i s s y s t e m s are s a i d Io be o n e of the safest way to d e c o n t a m i n a t e d r i n k i n g water. However, a c c o r d i n g to the c o m p a n y , c o n v e n t i o n a l reverse o s m o s i s c a n only recover 15 to 20 % of the w a t e r s e n t t h r o u g h the m e m b r a n e a n d n o r m a l l y spills 85 % to the sewers. The A q u a S t r e a m s y s t e m p r e v e n t s this water loss while offering safe, soft water. D y n a m i c A q u a S c i e n c e Inc h a s d e s i g n e d the A q u a S t r e a m p o i n t of e n t r y a n d u n d e r t h e s i n k s y s t e m s for the h o m e or for the office. A q u a S t r e m n r e m o v e s bacteria, v i r u s e s , colour, chlorine, lead a n d a n y other organic a n d inorganic matter that could be a health risk. The s y s t e m s g e n e r a l l y h a v e n o m o v i n g p a r t s , b u t t h e y c a n be provided with p u m p s for low pressure applications. D y n a m i c A q u a S c i e n c e Inc ls s e e k i n g d i s t r i b u t o r s and dealers both nationally a n d abroad.

For further information contact: Dynamic Aqua Science Inc, 4 Civic Plaza 350, Newport Beach, CA 92660, USA. Tel: +1 714 640 2415; fax: +I 714 640 2487.

7