News and Views
US m a r k e t for MF to top $ 9 5 6 m i l l i o n In 1995, the U n i t e d S t a t e s m a r k e t for m i c r o f i l t r a t i o n p r o d u c t s w a s w o r t h S 5 4 9 million, Driven by t h e i n t r i c a c i e s of t h e s e m i c o n d u c t o r s m a r k e t , t h e d e m a n d for p u r e r w a t e r a n d d e v e l o p m e n t s in p h a r m a c e u t i c a l manufacture and laboratory analysis, revenues are p r e d i c t e d to grow s t e a d i l y to $ 9 5 6 . 2 million in 2002, This is t h e f o r e c a s t b y F r o s t a n d S u l l i v a n in its r e p o r t entitled: US M i c r o f i l t r a t i o n M a r k e t s . T h i s g r o w t h is p r e d i c t e d to s t e m from a b r o a d e n i n g a p p l i c a t i o n b a s e a n d a t r e n d t o w a r d s finer, p u r e r h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e filtration p r o d u c t s . Virtually all s e g m e n t s of t h e US m i c r o f i l t r a t i o n m a r k e t a r e e x p e r i e n c i n g g r o w t h a t b e t w e e n 8 a n d 12% a n n u a l l y . T h i s is n o t t h e c a s e for c e l l u l o s e m e m b r a n e p r o d u c t s however. This filter h a s a l m o s t b e c o m e a c o m m o d i t y item. While a c o n t i n u i n g m a r k e t for t h i s p r o d u c t is p r e d i c t e d , it is l o s i n g s h a r e to o t h e r m i c r o f i l t r a t i o n p r o d u c t s . Customer support, research and development, distribution channeling and niche markets are all s e e n to b e s i g n i f i c a n t i s s u e s w i t h i n the microfiltration industry. For f u r t h e r information, contact: Frost & Sullivan, Sullivan House, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London S W I W OBN, UK. Tel: +44 171 730 3438; fcc~: +44 171 730 3343.
Water t r e a t m e n t plant for Philips Semiconductors A comprehensive water treatment system which purifies b o r e h o l e w a t e r to 1 d r a m q u a l i t y for silicon wafer m a n u f a c t u r e h a s b e e n i n s t a l l e d by M e m c o r for Philips S e m i c o n d u c t o r s in t h e UK. The p l a n t , w h i c h h a s a 90 m 3 / h r c a p a c i t y , c o m b i n e s m i c r o f i l t r a t i o n w i t h c a t a l y t i c m e d i a p r e t r e a t m e n t , ion e x c h a n g e a n d UV t r e a t m e n t . In t h e M e m c o r p l a n t , t h e b o r e h o l e w a t e r p a s s e s first t h r o u g h m a n g a n e s e dioxide c a t a l y t i c filters to remove iron and manganese. The water then passes t h r o u g h a w e a k c a t i o n r e s i n followed by a s t r o n g cation resin. The cations are removed and the b i c a r b o n a t e i o n s allowed to c o n v e r t to c a r b o n dioxide, w h i c h is t h e n s t r i p p e d o u t of t h e w a t e r in a d e g a s s i n g tower c o n t a i n i n g a m a s s t r a n s f e r p a c k i n g . T h e d e g a s s e d w a t e r n e x t flows t h r o u g h a s t r o n g a n i o n u n i t in w h i c h w e a k a c i d s (silica a n d a n y r e m a i n i n g c a r b o n dioxide) a n d r e s i d u a l m i n e r a l a c i d s
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The Memcor water treatment plant at Philips Semiconductors ( s u l p h u r i c , nitric a n d h y d r o c h l o r i c ) a r e r e m o v e d . At t h e e n d of t h i s p r o c e s s t h e w a t e r q u a l i t y is t y p i c a l l y 1 m i c r o S i e m e n / c m a n d 30 p p b of silica. To m i n i m i s e t h e c o n s u m p t i o n of s u l p h u r i c a c i d d u r i n g r e g e n e r a t i o n of t h e w e a k a n d s t r o n g c a t i o n u n i t s , a t h o r o u g h f a r e t e c h n i q u e is e m p l o y e d . T h e a c i d is f r s t d r a w n t h r o u g h t h e s t r o n g c a t i o n c o l u m n a n d then passed through the weak cation column at a lower c o n c e n t r a t i o n via a s m a l l b a l a n c i n g t a n k . T h e effluent v o l u m e is r e d u c e d b y i n t e r n a l l y r e c i r c u l a t i n g r i n s e w a t e r s from t h e s t r o n g c a t i o n a n d a n i o n u n i t s once t h e r i n s e w a t e r q u a l i t y h a s r e a c h e d a p r e d e t e r m i n e d level. W a t e r from t h i s p r o c e s s is t r e a t e d in ' r o u g h i n g ' m i x e d b e d d e m i n e r a l i s a t i o n p l a n t s to a q u a l i t y of 15 m e g o h m a n d a s i l i c a c o n t e n t of l e s s t h a n 10 p p b . It is s t o r e d in s e m i - t r e a t e d w a t e r s t o r a g e t a n k s before it finally p a s s e s t h r o u g h a UV s t e r i l i s e r a n d t h e polishing mixed beds. T h e filtration s y s t e m s in t h e m a i n r i n g e m p l o y Filterite c a r t r i d g e s . T h e first filter, d o w n s t r e a m of t h e m i x e d b e d s , u s e s 0.45 m i c r o n virgin p o l y p r o p y l e n e c a r t r i d g e s a n d t h e s e c o n d u n i t , a f t e r t h e UV s t e r i l i s e r s e m p l o y s 0.21a m i c r o n p o l y s u l p h o n e membrane cartridges. For further information, contact: Memcor Limited, Wirksworth, Derbyshire DE4 4BG, UK. Tel: +44 1629 823811 ;fax: +44 1629 825169.
M e m b r a n e T e c h n o l o g y No. 75