Membrane filtration

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Technology
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Technology details
Name: Membrane filtration
Category: Pre-processing (Separation technologies), Post-processing (Separation technologies)
Feedstock: All materials
Product: Separated products

Membrane filtration is a separation technology to remove substances from liquids and gases with the help of permeable membranes which are composed of fibrous or porous materials.

Feedstock

Origin and composition

A diagram showing Cross Flow Membrane Filtration schematically
Cross Flow Membrane Filtration

In membrane separation processes, the membrane acts as a selective barrier between two phases with the ability to facilitate or limit the transport of one or more components from one phase to another by the action of a driving force. This driving force can be pressure, concentration, electrical potential, or temperature gradient. The stream passing through the membrane is the permeate, whereas the stream containing the rejected components is the retentate. The most common applications in biotechnology are the separation of solid biomass from feedstocks, separation of production cells within a pre-treatment or a downstream process and separation of target dissolved substances from liquid streams.

Pre-treatment

For membrane filtration, no specific pre-treatment is needed since it is used to separate different fractions within a process chain. Sometimes, it is combined with other separation technologies, such as centrifugation.

Process and technologies

Filtration at BBEPP, Belgium

Membrane separation processes differ based on driving force and size of the separated particles.

Different driving forces

Pressure driven processes include microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. Other driving forces such as electrical potential, concentration gradient or vapor/pressure gradient include electrolysis, dialysis, electrodialysis, gas separation, vapor permeation, pervaporation, membrane distillation, and membrane contactors. All processes except for pervaporation involve no phase change. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration is widely used in food and beverage processing, biotechnological applications and pharmaceutical industry, water purification and wastewater treatment, the microelectronics industry, and others. Nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes are mainly used for water purification purposes.

Operation modes

Schematic graphic showing nanofiltration solute transport
Nanofiltration solute transport
Schematic graphic showing nanofiltration exclusion mechanisms
Nanofiltration exclusion mechanisms

Membrane filtration can be carried out by means of two operating modes: dead-end filtration and cross-flow filtration.

Dead-end filtration

In dead-end filtration, the feed stream flows perpendicular to the membrane and is forced through the membrane. In consequence, the retained components accumulate on the membrane surface forming a cake layer, resulting in a decrease of the filtration rate due to the additional resistance to filtration of this cake layer. Dead-end operation mode is mostly employed in MF and is commonly used for separation of solid biomass from different feedstocks within pre-treatment processes.

Cross-flow filtration

In cross-flow filtration (CFF), the feed flows parallel to the membrane surface. The tangential flow allows the accumulated rejected solutes on the surface of the membrane to be entrained, limiting the thickness of the cake layer and helping to maintain the permeate flow. CFF is widely used for concentration, purification or fractionation of target compounds from liquid streams.

Membrane modules

The membrane module is also a key parameter in the performance of a membrane separation process. The modules are designed with the objective of increasing turbulence on the surface of the membrane to reduce the mass transfer resistance and the concentration effects. The most used modules are plate and frame, spiral, tubular and hollow fibres.

Products

The products of a membrane filtration are the compounds retained by the membrane and the permeate stream that can both be further processed.

Post-treatment

The post-treatment of the filtrate or retentate is depending on the next steps within the production chain.

Technology providers

Technology comparison
Company name Country Technology subcategory Technology name TRL Capacity [kg/h] Molecular cut-off [kDa] Feedstock: Food waste Feedstock: Garden & park waste
Filtertechnik Jäger GmbH Germany Cross-flow filtration High-Flow Filtergehäuse CPB-12-60-DN250-316Ti-10 9 700000 -
Hysytech S.R.L. Italy - Membrane separation system 7 - >5
SiccaDania Denmark Cross-flow filtration and reverse osmosis Membrane Filtration Systems 9 - 0.1-200

Filtertechnik Jäger GmbH

Membrane filtration provider
General information
Company: Filtertechnik Jäger GmbH Filtertechnik-Jäger.png
Country: Germany
Contact: info@filtertechnik-jaeger.de
Webpage: https://www.filtertechnik-jaeger.de
Technology and process details
Technology name: High-Flow Filtergehäuse CPB-12-60-DN250-316Ti-10 Technology category: Pre-processing (Separation technologies), Post-processing (Separation technologies)
TRL: 9 Capacity: Up to 700,000 kg·h-1
Filter material: PP, upon inquiry also PE Hydrophobicity:
Molecular cut-off: kDa pH:
Pore size: N-Series: 1-125 µm Pressure: Up to 10 bar
Processable volume: Continuous: 1,187 L Surface area: Up to 135 m2
Temperature: Up to 100 °C Other: ATEX classicifcation: EX II GT3
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock: Wide range of suspensions (solids in liquids) Product: Filtered liquid and/or separeted solids

Filtertechnik Jäger has been fully dedicated to filtration technology for 3 decades now. The company was founded in 1995 and is now a German family business with 25 employees. As a German manufacturer and competent partner to the industry, we serve our customers with high-quality and innovative products as well as valuable expertise and technically courteous service.

Hysytech S.R.L.

Membrane filtration provider
General information
Company: Hysytech Srl 21-04-27 Tech4Biowaste rect-p.png
Country: Italy
Contact: massimiliano.antonini@hysytech.com; simone.solaro@hysytech.com; freddy.liendo@hysytech.com
Webpage: www.hysytech.com
Technology and process details
Technology name: Membrane separation system Technology category: Pre-processing (Separation technologies), Post-processing (Separation technologies)
TRL: 7 Capacity: Not Provided kg·h-1
Filter material: Ceramic/polymeric materials Hydrophobicity: Not Provided
Molecular cut-off: down to 5 kDa pH: 7-14
Pore size: 100 µm Pressure: up to 8 bar
Processable volume: 250 L Surface area: 10/10 m2
Temperature: up to 80 °C Other: 2 step filtration: Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock: High pH bioproduct solution Product: Low pH bioproduct and lower water content

SiccaDania

Membrane filtration provider
General information
Company: SiccaDania Group SiccaDania.png
Country: Denmark
Contact: info@siccadania.com
Webpage: https://siccadania.com
Technology and process details
Technology name: Membrane Filtration Systems (Reverse Osmosis, Nanofiltration, Ultrafiltration, Microfiltration) Technology category: Pre-processing (Separation technologies), Post-processing (Separation technologies)
TRL: 9 Capacity: kg·h-1
Filter material: Ceramic or polymeric (Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration), Polymeric (Nanofiltration, Reverse Osmosis) Hydrophobicity:
Molecular cut-off: 0.1-200 kDa pH:
Pore size: Up to 5 µm Pressure: bar
Processable volume: L Surface area: m2
Temperature: °C Other:
Feedstock and product details
Feedstock: Varios applications for dairy and food Product: Various revovered products separated by their physicochemical properties

The company was founded in 2014 focussing on creating a worldwide company with offices in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, China, Brazil and Canada. A wide product portfolio is offered including dryers, evaporators, fans & blowers, membrane filtration plants, mixers, powder handling machinery & separators, rotary vacuum filters, screw conveyors, as well as starch processing & recovery plants.

Open access pilot and demo facility providers

Membrane filtration: Pilots4U Database

Particle filtration: Pilots4U Database

Patents

Currently no patents have been identified.

References and further readings