Overview of Membrane Technology Applications in Industrial Reuse

Many industries turn to membrane technologies for water reuse to implement more sustainable and greener operations. The benefits of water reuse also include reduced operating costs. Some of the largest water uses are for the primary manufacturing or production lines and cooling systems. These wet operations normally require very strict adherence to water quality limits. Membrane technologies, including membrane bioreactors, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis are well-suited to providing consistently high-quality water for reuse in an industrial setting. Some well-known applications include the petrochemical industry, semi-conductor industry, food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, and metal plating and similar waste streams. This paper presents an overview of the application of membranes for industrial water reuse along with some important considerations for implementing membrane technologies in an industrial water reuse setting. These considerations include waste characterization, bench and pilot testing, pretreatment, and residuals treatment and disposal.