Ceramic membranes can reduce wastewater filtration costs

New ceramic membranes for water filtration and purification for use in industrial wastewater treatment processes are being developed by Morgan Technical Ceramics.

Morgan believes that its new products will help industrial operations to be more environmentally friendly and efficient. The reliability of the ceramic membranes enable businesses to reduce maintenance and energy usage and make associated cost savings.

Traditionally polymer or ceramic tubular membranes are currently used to clean and conserve water in industrial wastewater applications. However, polymer systems need replacing regularly, especially if not tailored to the application, and ceramic tubular membranes need high water flow rates to operate effectively.

Morgan claims that its porous ceramic disc membranes have many benefits compared with polymer substrates. The ceramic is robust and gives high performance where high temperatures and aggressive cleaning chemicals are prevalent.

The filters can withstand the harsh environments found in wastewater treatments and as a result, they are long-lasting and do not need replacing as often as plastic alternatives. They do not need the high flow rate required for current ceramic tubular membranes, saving energy and costs associated with pumping water at lower flow rates.

Morgan has the ability to manufacture components to highly complex geometries and to tight tolerances and its ceramic membranes are just 20 microns thick. The porous ceramic membrane systems are ideal for use in ultrafiltration applications that collect bacteria and purify industrial wastewater allowing it to be reused in the plant or safely discharged into the environment.

“Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in businesses and the environmental benefits of water filtration are well recognised,” says Paul Manison, business manager, Morgan Technical Ceramics. “We work closely with our customers to understand industry demands so we can design and develop high quality products to meet specific needs. I’m delighted our new water filtration membranes will help businesses to operate more efficiently, save money and conserve water.”