Osmoflo reports concentrate reduction success
Australian desalination company Osmoflo has reported success with site tests of its concentrate reduction technology for reverse osmosis (RO) plants. The firm said its Brine Squeezer system increased recovery from 80% to 95% in a mine wastewater recovery pilot.
The pilot in a northern Australian mine treated brackish water with total dissolved solids
(TDS) at 5,000 mg/l, “significantly reducing” the volume of brine needing disposal the
company reported.
Osmoflo said the relatively high unit costs of the Brine Squeezer will be offset by
“massive” savings in concentrate disposal infrastructure such as evaporation lagoons or
thermal systems. It said the target market was inland desalination plants where
concentrate disposal has always been a challenge – particularly for large plants.
The device is a RO system that can be added to almost any conventional RO system
using the existing RO reject as feed water.
The Brine Squeezer operates at or above the scaling threshold of sparingly soluble
salts, and concentrates feedwater to a TDS of 100,000 – 120,000 mg/l. It recirculates
concentrate in the high-pressure circuit to increase cross-flow and lower flux.
A thermally degradable coating is applied to the membranes in situ to prevent
irreversible fouling. The membranes are cleaned every one to four days by a special high-
temperature cleaning process and the coating replaced.
Osmoflo has three pilot units, and the company is currently looking for pilot
opportunities and strategic partners in various regions and markets.
Osmoflo reports concentrate reduction success does not have any posts.