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Differences in the selection of industrial reverse osmosis equipment in different industries

DATE:2025-03-11Number of views: Source:LEFILTER

Introduction:

The selection of industrial reverse osmosis equipment should be differentiated based on core elements such as industry characteristics, water quality requirements, and production processes. There are significant differences in membrane component selection, process configuration, and post-treatment systems among different industries due to differences in water quality standards, water production requirements, and pollutant characteristics. Starting from six typical industries, analyze the differences in selection and technical points

 

Electronic semiconductor industry

1. Water quality requirements

To meet the standard of ultrapure water (resistivity ≥ 18M Ω· cm), it is required to remove 99.999% of ions, particles, and organic matter.

Core configuration

Dual stage reverse osmosis+EDI system: The first stage RO removes 95% -98% salt, and the second stage RO further improves the desalination rate to over 99%, combined with EDI modules to achieve deep desalination;

Ultrafiltration pretreatment: Control the inlet SDI value to be less than 1 to prevent membrane fouling (such as using a 0.02 μ m ultrafiltration membrane);

Terminal processing: UV sterilization+0.2 μ m security filter to eliminate microbial risks.

2. Typical cases

A certain electronic component factory originally used a single-stage RO system, with a product scrap rate of up to 15%; After upgrading to dual level RO+EDI, the resistivity of the produced water remained stable at 18.2M Ω· cm, and the scrap rate decreased to 0.3%

 



Food and beverage industry

1. Water quality requirements

Compliant with GB 5749-2022 drinking water standards, with a focus on microbiological, residual chlorine, and organic matter indicators.

2. Process design

Pre treatment enhancement: quartz sand filtration (to remove suspended solids)+activated carbon adsorption (to remove residual chlorine)+softening resin (to prevent scaling);

Post processing differentiation: ozone sterilization replaces chemical agents (to avoid residual effects on taste), equipped with a 0.22 μ m terminal filter;

Membrane component selection: Prioritize the use of anti pollution polyamide composite membranes (resistant to high COD water sources).

3. Cost optimization

A certain beverage factory adopts a single-stage RO system (desalination rate of 98%)+ozone sterilization scheme, which saves 30% of energy consumption compared to traditional two-stage RO and meets the requirements of sterile filling for water quality

 


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Pharmaceutical industry

1. Key indicators

Must meet the injection water standards of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (TOC ≤ 500ppb, endotoxin ≤ 0.25EU/mL).

2. System configuration

Multi stage combination process: dual stage RO (desalination rate ≥ 99%)+EDI+distillation device, ensuring ultra purification of water quality by 35%;

Special material requirements: 316L stainless steel pipeline+sanitary membrane shell to avoid metal ion precipitation;

Online monitoring: equipped with TOC analyzer, conductivity meter, and endotoxin detection module to monitor water quality fluctuations in real-time.

3. Risk control

A pharmaceutical company's use of ordinary carbon steel pipes resulted in excessive iron ions. After replacing it with a fully stainless steel system, the product qualification rate increased to 99.9%

 

Chemical industry

1. Characteristics of working conditions

The raw water contains high concentrations of salt (such as chloride ions>5000mg/L), oil or acidic substances.

2. Customized design

Corrosion resistant membrane components: choose seawater desalination membrane (resistant to Cl ⁻ concentration>20000mg/L) or acid resistant membrane (pH tolerance range 2-11) ;

Enhanced pretreatment: air flotation for oil removal (removing grease)+chemical oxidation (degrading organic matter)+multi-media filtration (intercepting colloids) ;

High pressure system configuration: Using 16-20MPa high-pressure pumps, the system recovery rate is increased to 70% -75%.

3. Application Cases

When treating saline wastewater in a certain chemical plant, the 8040 seawater membrane+three-stage pretreatment process was used to increase the wastewater recovery rate from 50% to 72%, saving over 2 million yuan in annual water costs

 

Power industry

1‌. Core requirements

Boiler feedwater requires low conductivity (≤ 0.1 μ S/cm) and low silicon content (≤ 20 μ g/L).

2. Technical solution

Double stage RO+mixed bed: The conductivity of the water produced by the first stage RO is ≤ 10 μ S/cm, and the conductivity of the water produced by the second stage RO is reduced to ≤ 2 μ S/cm. The mixed bed is further purified;

Anti silicon scale measures: add specialized scale inhibitor (control LSI<1.8)+adjust pH to 9-10 (inhibit silica polymerization);

Membrane specification selection: Large units prefer to use 8040 membrane (single membrane water production>35m ³/d), while small and medium-sized units can choose 4040 membrane

3. Efficiency comparison

After upgrading a single-stage RO to a two-stage RO+mixed bed system in a certain thermal power plant, the boiler discharge rate was reduced by 60%, and the annual coal cost was saved by about 1.5 million yuan

 

Textile printing and dyeing industry

1. Pain points in water quality

The raw water has high hardness (Ca ² ⁺+Mg ² ⁺>300mg/L) and deep chromaticity (ADMI value>200).

2‌. Selection strategy

Softening+Anti pollution Membrane: Sodium ion exchanger (hardness reduced to<50mg/L)+Anti pollution RO membrane (flux attenuation rate<10%/year) 24;

Decolorization process: activated carbon adsorption (to remove dye molecules)+ozone oxidation (to degrade organic matter) 24;

Energy saving design: Energy recovery device (recovery rate>95%), reducing the power consumption of high-pressure pumps by 45%.

3. Economic benefits

A certain printing and dyeing factory adopts a softening+single-stage RO+energy recovery scheme, reducing the cost of treating water per ton from 3.2 yuan to 2.1 yuan, and achieving an annual water saving benefit of 800000 yuan

 

Summary:

The core of selection driven by industry differences lies in water quality standards, pollutant characteristics, and cost constraints. The electronics/pharmaceutical industry focuses on ultra-high purity and requires the configuration of multi-stage purification systems; The food/textile industry focuses on microbial and color control, strengthening pretreatment and terminal sterilization; The chemical/power industry relies on corrosion-resistant films and energy recovery technologies to cope with high salt and high hardness water quality. When selecting, priority should be given to matching industry standards, balancing water quality, efficiency, and operational costs through customized design



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