membrane and separation technology news

ELECTROCHEMICAL

LINX WastesLess Water

Pionetics is commercializing the LINX 120 system, a home drink-ing water purification product that wastes less water than residen-tial RO units and allows users to adjust the water’s taste to suitindividual preference. Designed to replace bulky RO systems, thecompact LINX 120 is the first product based on Pionetics’ patentedLINX technology, a process that removes 90% of total dissolvedsolids (TDS) and numerous contaminants, using only clean electricpower and proprietary ion exchange membranes.

Pionetics’ Founder and Chief Technical Officer Eric Nyberg tellsMST that the point of use (POU) purifier is the first residential watersystem to use electrically regenerable ion exchange. The water-splitting, or bipolar, membranes consist of a cation exchange layerbound to an anion exchange layer. Similar membranes already arein industrial use for converting aqueous salt solutions into acidsand bases without chemical addition. At its most basic, the LINXunit comprises two cells, each cell having two electrodes, a spiralwound ion exchange membrane cartridge located between theelectrodes, and a water inlet and outlet. The system additionallycomprises a power supply, a flow detector, and sediment and carbonfilters.

The LINX technology removes ions, for example sodium and nitrate,from water flowing past the membranes. Sodium ions exchangewith hydrogen ions held in the cation exchange layer; nitrate ionsexchange with hydroxide ions in the anion exchange layer. Deion-ized water, the combined product of hydrogen and hydroxide ions inthe solution, then exits the system. The rate of ion removal isgreatly accelerated by the application of sufficient voltage to the twoelectrodes. When the cartridge’s capacity for ions is depleted,electrical regeneration is achieved by reversing the polarity of thetwo electrodes.

Pionetics’ membranes have good selectivity for many ionic speciesthat worry consumers. Because the membranes are regenerated inthe hydrogen and hydroxide forms, they are especially effective forremoving the weak acids arsenic (III) and arsenic (V). (RO cannotremove arsenic [III], sometimes present in deep well water sources.)Nitrates and nitrites are extracted selectively via the quaternary

In This Issue…

ELECTROCHEMICAL ........... 1

REVERSE OSMOSIS ............ 2

ULTRAFILTRATION ............. 5

GAS SEPARATION ............... 6

BIOMEDICAL AND BOMEMEBRANE ............... 7

INDUSTRY INSIGHT ........... 8

NON-SEPARATING .............. 12

INDUSTRY NEWS ................ 13

WHO’S WHO IN MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY ............... 14

Senior Editor: Susan Hanft Tel: 512/303-6502 E-mail: [email protected]

Lead Production Editor: Jon Gomes

BCC Newsletter GroupEditorial Director: Alan HallVP — Operations: Marc FavreauRegional Editor: Dr. Robert ButlerPresident: Louis Naturman

Copyright 2005 Business CommunicationsCo., Inc. Norwalk, CT 06855. Reproduction ofany material in this newsletter is strictlyforbidden without express permission of thePublisher. However, authorization to photo-copy items is granted by BCC, provided thatthe appropriate fee is paid directly to Copy-right Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive,Danvers, MA 01923, USA.

ISSN: 0720-8483

Volume 23, Number 10 July 2005

A BCC, Inc. Publication • 25 Van Zant St., Norwalk, CT 06855-1781 • 203/853-4266 • FAX: 203/853-0348

Membrane &Separation Technology News

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Membrane & Separation Technology News July 2005

ammonium ion exchange materials used in manufacturing themembrane. Perchlorate, permanganate, chromate, and all dis-solved heavy metals also are extracted by selective ion exchange.

Compared to RO, which wastes five to seven gallons of water for eachgallon of drinking water generated, the LINX purifier uses only onehalf gallon of water for every gallon produced, regardless of feedwater. The system does not require a storage tank because thecartridge contains a large enough membrane surface area toproduce water at a rate of 0.5 gallons per minute. In addition topermitting a more compact system, the elimination of the storagetank removes a potential breeding ground for bacteria.

The LINX system delivers nearly twenty times the flow rate of ROwithout a tank (0.5 gpm compared to 0.03gpm at 60psi), generatesone-fourth as much wastewater, and works efficiently at low waterpressures, where other purifiers can require booster pumps. Sys-tem operating costs are low, because power is consumed only whenwater flows, during deionization and the short chemical-free regen-eration cycle. The LINX consumes only about $10 per year ofelectrical power.

The POU system includes a feature called Dial-a-Taste, whichallows users to select a TDS level to suit individual taste or needs.Desired TDS can be preset via a feedback loop between a conductiv-ity sensor in the product water stream and the power supply. Thisallows the membrane’s ion extraction rate to be increased ordecreased with incremental voltage changes. Nyberg says theaverage American prefers water at 60ppm TDS. For making coffee,a TDS level of 150ppm is preferred by coffee producers; whileconsumers wishing to increase calcium or magnesium levels forhealth reasons might choose a TDS of 250ppm.

The purifier is fully automated so that drinking water is deliveredon demand without interruption. Indicator lights display selectedTDS and notify the user when membrane cartridges need replac-ing. The lifetime of an average cartridge is estimated at about 1,000gallons in hard water, enough for a year or more of average use.

The LINX 120 system is available now for evaluation by residentialwater treatment contractors and distributors. LINX technology hasfurther application for industrial and commercial use, from whole-house purification to industrial chemical and metals recovery.

Contact: Akash Trivedi, Business Development Manager, Pionetics,151H Old County Road, San Carlos, CA 94070; Tel: 650/551-0250,x 142, Fax: 650/551-0251.

REVERSE OSMOSIS

GrahamTek ModulesRefine Desalination

South Africa-based GrahamTek Systems has linked a number oftechnical improvements: a larger diameter module, two-element

BUSINESS

GE, Pall Expand Alliance.GE Infrastructure, Water &Process Technologies(Trevose, PA) and Pall Corp.(East Hills, NY) are expand-ing their strategic alliance tobring membrane technologiesfor desalination, water reuseand municipal water treat-ment to the global market-place. Building upon a Janu-ary 2004 agreement, whichintegrated GE’s RO and NFsystems and services withPall’s MF and UF technolo-gies, the new alliance pavesthe way for collaboration onthe development and sale ofnew proprietary technologies.

Millipore to Market 3M’sSPE Plates. Millipore Corp.(Billerica, MA) and 3M Co.(St. Paul, MN) have enteredinto a supply and distribu-tion agreement for 96-wellMulti-SPE Extraction Platesfeaturing 3M’s Empore mem-branes. Empore membranesincorporate solid phase sor-bent particles within a net-work of PTFE fibrils to pro-duce clean extracts, extendLC-MS/MS column life anddecrease instrument down-time. The plates also mini-mize solvent usage and elimi-nate evaporation/reconstitu-tion steps. Under the termsof the agreement, the plates,developed by 3M, will bebranded and distributed byMillipore for life sciencesample preparation applica-tions. SPE is the preferredmethod for isolating and con-centrating low levels of an-alytes by eliminating sub-stances that contribute toand interfere with mass spec-trometry signal detection. SPEproducts typically are used inthe environmental and bio-analytical sample preparationmarkets.


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pressure vessel, an integrated flow distributor, applied electromag-netic fields, energy recovery devices and a modular skid platform,into an integrated RO system that achieves higher flux rates,reduced fouling, enhanced membrane life, diminished chemicalusage and lower operating costs.

According to founder William Graham, GrahamTek, the only mem-brane manufacturer in Africa, was the first to market with a largediameter module. The 15-inch by 50-inch element with a surfacearea of 1,700ft2 is equivalent to four conventional 8” x 40” mem-brane elements. Membranes are manufactured specifically fordifferent raw water source types. A polymer GrahamTek membranewith a pore size of 0.0002µm is used to process seawater. The spiralwound element is constructed of 46 leaves, each 55 inches long.

A flow distributor is attached on the inlet side and an anti-telescop-ing device fitted to the rear before the membrane is placed insidethe pressure vessel. The flow distributor is incorporated at the frontend of the membrane spiral to generate higher flux and betterrecovery. Feed water is directed towards the center of the spiralmembrane, where lower velocities are found, by placing many small-angled inlet holes, positioned in concentric circle, on the flowdistributor’s surface. This changes the laminar flow of the feed waterunder pressure, causing it to become highly turbulent and createmicro-bubbles that scour the membrane surface of foulants, andimprove crossflow shear force and mass transfer through the mem-brane. Another advantage to the flow distributor is lengthening theintervals between maintenance backwashes, to 60% less than thatneeded in conventional plants.

Each pressure vessel in a GrahamTek system houses two modules.Up to nine pressure vessels can be mounted onto a single fullyoperational pre-assembled skid platform. The modular design al-lows skids to be linked together to provide plants of varying capaci-ties. In a conventional vessel, users would need up to sevenmembranes to achieve an equivalent membrane area. The re-duced requirement of two membrane elements per pressure vesselresults in less pressure drop per vessel.

The electro magnetic device, a conductor wound into the pressurevessel at strategic points to establish an electromagnetic fieldthroughout the length of each vessel, prevents fouling on themembrane surface by inhibiting active crystal formation. Waterwithin the feed channel is surrounded by the magnetic field, whichgenerates movement in the direction of the concentrated stream.Ions within the concentrated stream become electrically charged,inducing the feed channel to act as a semiconductor moving forwardin the direction of the magnetic field. The calibrated harmonic fielddisorientates the formation of active crystal growth by separatingchemical bonds, and can be optimized by controlling the appliedelectric current.

GrahamTek’s RO+ 403 Series incorporates the 15” diameter mod-ule, the 203 Series is designed to operate with standard 8” diameterelements. Two energy recovery devices are available for use withGrahamTek systems depending on the size of the plant. Powersavings range from 37% to 42%. Both Series 403 and Series 203products arrive pre-assembled and skid-mounted.

Polyfuel Plans IPO. Polyfuel(Mountain View, CA) plans togo public on the AlternativeInvestment Market of theLondon Stock Exchange. TheAIM is considered a step to-wards main stock market list-ing for small and growing com-panies. Polyfuel manufac-tures membranes for bothmethanol and hydrogen fuelcells using technology de-signed to make the cells morepowerful, less expensive andwithstand higher tempera-tures. In April, Polyfuel an-nounced that it had devel-oped membranes suitable formanufacturing using exist-ing processes for fluorocar-bon membranes, such as DuPont’s Nafion. Under Britishregulations, Polyfuel cannotspeak widely about the IPOplans. However, the companyis reportedly hoping to raise$21.8 million from the offer-ing, bringing its value to $72.8million.

Siemens Invests in ingeAG. Through its venture capi-tal division, Siemens (Munich,Germany) has invested in ingeAG, developer of Multiborecapillary fiber UF membranesand modules for water treat-ment. Since its founding, ingeAG has tripled its turnoveryearly. By 2008, the companyis aiming for annual sales ofmore than $100 million. Be-sides Siemens Venture Capi-tal, four additional investorsare supporting inge: SAMSustainability Private EquityFund LP, Sustainable Perfor-mance Group N.V. RWE Ven-ture Capital Funds andTaprogge Watertech. Totalinvestment is slightly morethan $7 million.

Landec Forms Tech Divi-sion. Landec Corp.’s (MenloPark, CA) food subsidiary,Apio, Inc., has launched a

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Contact: William Graham, GrahamTek Systems, Graham House,12 Gerber Boulevard, Gants Plaza, Strand, South Africa 7140; Tel:+27 21 853 0699, Fax: +27 21 853 0692, email: [email protected].

Hydranautics LaunchesFive Improved Products

Hydranautics has added five RO/NF elements to its lines ofproducts for desalination, municipal water production and indus-trial water treatment. The new generations of membrane mod-ules offer improvements such as enhanced salt rejection, higherboron removal, lower energy consumption and reduced operatingcosts.

• The Low Fouling Composite LFC3-LD (Low Differential pressure)possesses a neutral surface charge that reduces fouling in waste-water and surface water with high fouling potential for reuse andreclaim applications. The LFC3-LD incorporates a thicker brinespacer to create a lower fouling membrane that requires lessfrequent cleaning, while maintaining high permeate flow. TheLFC3-LD provides 11,000 gallons per day of flow at 99.7% nominalsalt rejection, and is well suited for the treatment of difficultmunicipal and industrial feedwaters that typically require signifi-cant pretreatment. LFC3-LD elements are 8 inches in diameter, 40inches long and incorporate 400ft2 of membrane area.

• Hydranautics’ improved ESPA (Energy Saving Polyamide)-B highboron rejection membranes offer a new option for communitieswith high boron levels or for manufacturers with boron contamina-tion issues. ESPA-B provides 8,600 gallons per day of flow at 99.2%nominal salt rejection and 96% boron rejection, making it thehighest boron rejecting, low-pressure element in the industry.Each module contains 400ft2 of membrane area and measures 8inches in diameter and 40 inches in length. The ESPA-B is ideal foruse with Hydranautics’ new SWC5 elements for second pass filtra-tion in seawater and brackish water RO plants with stringent boronrejection requirements.

• The SWC5 combines high flow rates with superior salt and boronrejection at low operating pressures. The SWC5 provides 8,000gallons per day of flow at 99.8% nominal salt rejection and 92% boronrejection. The 400ft2 SWC5 elements are available as 8-inchdiameter and 40-inch long modules.

• The latest generation of ESNA (Energy Savings Nanofiltration)technology, the ESNA1-LF2, is designed to provide high rejection ofnatural organic materials and moderate rejection of total hardness.The modules operate at pressures of less than 100 psi, a featurethat lowers energy requirements and cuts costs. The ESNA1-LF2provides 7,800 gallons per day of flow at 80% nominal calcium chlo-ride rejection. Permeate from ESNA1-LF2 elements is well belowcurrent EPA regulations for trihalomethane and haloacetic acidlevels as required for U.S. municipal drinking water. The 400ft2

ESNA1-LF2 membrane elements are available in an 8-inch diam-eter and 40-inch long configuration.

new technology division toadvance sales of itsBreatheWay membrane-based food packaging.BreatheWay packaging usesmembranes to regulate oxy-gen and carbon dioxide levelswithin a produce package tomaintain optimum atmo-spheres for vegetables andfruit, and extend their shelflife. The membrane also com-pensates for changes in tem-perature that might be en-countered during shippingand storage. The new divi-sion will expand the use ofBreatheWay packaging to veg-etables and fruit not sold byApio and for higher volumeapplications such as ship-ping containers and pallet-size uses.

RGU Spins Off Second GasProcessing Firm. RobertGordon University (RGU, Ab-erdeen, Scotland) has incor-porated the second of its spinoff companies established tocommercialize inorganic gasseparation membranes. Thefirst startup, Clear Process,Ltd., was founded in late 2004to commercialize hybrid ce-ramic membranes for the re-covery of carbon dioxide fromgas processing and powerplant flue gas. The secondspin off, Gas2, Ltd., was es-tablished recently to marketcatalytic ceramic membranesfor producing synthesis gasvia partial oxidation of hydro-carbon feedstocks.

TriSep Joins Competitorswith Price Hike. Due to in-creases in oil prices and ma-terials produced from oil:polymers, plastics, and ad-hesives that make up themajority of spiral wound ele-ment raw materials, TriSepCorp. (Goleta, CA) has an-nounced a 5% price increaseon all membrane products


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• The new ESPA2+ features exceptional salt rejection at lower pre-ssures and higher rejection rates. ESPA2+ membranes are rec-ommended for commercial, industrial and larger groundwatermunicipal projects where high active area membrane surfacearea translates to fewer elements and lower capital costs. TheESPA2+ offers a flow rate of 12,000 gallons per day while maintain-ing a nominal salt rejection of 99.6% and boron rejection of 93%.Each 8-inch by 40-inch ESPA2+ element contains 440 ft2 ofmembrane area.

Contact: Serenity Gardner, Marketing Manager, Hydranautics,Inc., 401 Jones Rd., Oceanside, CA 92054; Tel: 760/901-2529, Fax:760/901-2578.

ULTRAFILTRATION

Pre-Engineered SystemsTarget Small Communities

Koch Membrane Systems, Inc. (KMS) introduced an expanded lineof packaged HF (hollow fiber) UF systems. The pre-engineeredsystems are designed to provide a compact and cost-effectivesolution for small communities requiring easily installed potablewater production capabilities to meet the requirements of the SafeDrinking Water Act.

HF series systems now are available in five models, ranging incapacity from 10,000gpd to approximately 800,000gpd. Skid mounted,space efficient and self-contained, the units are installed easily,requiring only that the membranes be added upon delivery. Com-pared to conventional multi-media filtration systems; the smallestmodel, the HF-4, has a footprint of only 54 square feet, and thelargest model, the HF-18, occupies only 200 square feet of floorspace. Depending upon the production needs of each customer, thepackaged units can include from 4 to 18 membrane cartridges.

With the proper pretreatment, the packaged UF systems can beused for a range of applications including backwash water recovery,iron and manganese removal, arsenic removal, and color and tasteremoval. The small pore size of KMS’ UF membranes providesdrinking water with turbidity levels of less than 0.1 NTU and act asa physical barrier to viruses and bacteria, Giardia lamblia cysts, andparasites like Cryptosporidium. A properly operated HF systemprevents microorganism breakthrough to the product water side,regardless of how long the system is in service and despite anyvariations in feed water quality.

Each packaged system includes all equipment and instrumentationneeded to run the unit. Standard components include a painted steelframe, membranes, control cabinet, touch screen panel display, twopumps with variable frequency drive and a cleaning tank. All modesof system operation are controlled using a programmable logiccontroller. To verify the system is operating properly, a daily mem-brane integrity test is built into every unit. KOCHSAFE integrity

effective June 1. TriSep hasbeen absorbing increases inraw material prices during thelast 12 months, but now ispassing the increases alongto customers. TriSep joinsRO membrane makers Dowand Hydranautics, whichraised prices earlier in theyear.

PROJECTS

Algiers Project Largest inAfrica. GE Infrastructure,Water & Process Technolo-gies (Trevose, PA), the Alge-rian Government, the Over-seas Private InvestmentCorp. and the Algerian En-ergy Co. (AEC) have an-nounced plans to buildAfrica’s largest seawater ROdesalination plant. TheHamma build-own-operateproject will supply 25% ofAlgeria’s capital city’s popu-lation with 53mgd of desper-ately needed drinking water.Because of the scarcity ofclean water, the residents ofAlgiers currently receive wa-ter one out of every threedays. Funded by GE (70%)and the AEC (30%), Hammawill be the first private ROdesalination drinking waterproject in Algeria. The projectalso will be the largest mem-brane desalination plant inAfrica, as well as one of thelargest desalination plants inthe entire world. Construc-tion on Hamma has begunand is expected to last 24months.

Olympic Village to ReuseWastewater. Zenon Environ-mental Inc. (Oakville,Ontario, Canada) has receiveda $5 million order to supplyZeeWeed membranes for ter-tiary wastewater treatmentat China’s Olympic Village.


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testing can identify one broken fiber out of hundreds of thousands.

Contact: Koch Membrane Systems, 850 Main St., Wilmington, MA01887-3388; Tel: 888/677-5624, Fax: 978/657-5208.

GAS SEPARATION

Mobile Inerting UnitsPrevent Mine Explosions

Air Liquide’s new Floxal inert gas generating system is an effectivemobile nitrogen membrane unit that prevents gas explosions inunderground mines. Compared to traditional boiler systems used inmine gas inerting, the membrane units do not need cooling water, usediesel fuel or emit carbon monoxide, clear environmental advantages.

The process, which is based on Air Liquide’s Medal polymer hollowfiber gas separation membranes, has been implemented atAustralia’s Dartbrook, German Creek, Oaky North and Oaky No.1underground coalmines. Earlier in the year, a Floxal unit was usedat Kestrel Mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin to clear the mineroadway when gas readings approached the explosive range. Thefirst two installed mobile units can clear underground at 500m3/hrwith 97% inert gas purity. Since then, Air Liquide has increasedthe capacity of its Floxal systems to 1,934m3/hr specifically forlongwall mining applications.

In longwall mining, a coal seam is divided into parallel blocksintersected by underground roadways that allow access for miningequipment. As coal is mined, roof supports are moved forwardleaving the region behind these braces unsupported. When the roofcollapses into this area, called the goaf, methane gas is generated.If methane gas concentration in the ventilation air reaches 5%, itforms an explosive gas mixture. Because the gas presents a dangerto underground workers, every mine must develop strategies toensure that gas concentrations in the roadways are maintainedbelow 1% to 2%. Inerting the goaf with nitrogen gas is one way toenhance mine safety and protect miners.

Producing inerting nitrogen at ambient temperature without co-generating CO or acids is a safety aspiration of coalmine managers.Air Liquide’s Floxal units filter compressed air, heated to a constanttemperature of 45ºC, across the Medal hollow fibers separatingnitrogen from oxygen and other components of atmospheric air.Parameters such as pressure and temperature influence theconcentration of the inert gas. The system is capable of producingnitrogen at 99.9% purity, but for coalmine applications, the bestresults are achieved at a purity of 97%.

Traditional nitrogen system mine inerting in Australia relies oncombustion to generate boiler exhaust as an inert gas. In contrastto the boiler system, which produces nitrogen at about 14.5psi, theFloxal unit produces nitrogen at a pressure of 130psi, which allowsthe gas to be distributed throughout the mine while the unit isplaced near the power source. Using a 6” pipe, nitrogen produced by

China has begun a massiveprogram to improve its infra-structure as the country pre-pares to host the 2008 Olym-pic Games in Beijing. Amongthe initiatives is the treat-ment and reuse of municipalsewage to relieve Beijing’sgrowing water shortage. Themembranes will treat second-ary effluent from the QingheWastewater Treatment Plantnear the Olympic Village.Treated effluent will be re-used within the village, pro-viding water for lagoons andponds, and for landscape irri-gation. Work on the project isunderway and is slated forcompletion in 12 to 14 months.After the Olympics, the gov-ernment plans to continueoperating the plant and to sellthe water for either irrigationor as toilet flush water.

Sri Lanka Installing RO forWater Reuse. Sewing threadmanufacturer American & EfirdLanka Private Ltd. has com-missioned Sri Lanka’s firststate-of-the-art RO wastewa-ter recycling unit. The new ROunit from GE Osmonics(Minnetonka, MN) will treatwastewater for reuse in themanufacturing process to con-serve water and reduce dis-charge to the environment.

Generon Contracts for Ni-trogen System. Generon IGS(Houston, TX) will install askidded membrane nitrogengenerator at Mytek Inter-national’s plastic moldingplant in Tijuana, Mexico. TheGeneron HP 6500 includes amembrane unit that will pro-vide an uninterrupted supplyof 98.5% to 99.9% purity ni-trogen to the molding ma-chines at flows up to 2,400SCFH. The turnkey packageincorporates a 35 HP air com-pressor with a three-stage

the Floxal unit can cover up to 57 miles; gas distributed in a 4”polypropylene conduit can travel up to 8 miles.

While boiler systems use water and large volumes of expensivediesel fuel, up to 1600 gallons daily, Air Liquide’s 1934m3/hr Floxalsystem requires only 805kW of electricity for efficient operation. Inaddition, membrane-based gas inerting can prevent hazards tounderground workers from the presence of carbon monoxide pro-duced by diesel-powered generators.

For preventive maintenance, the Floxal system is capable of oper-ating remotely and without an operator in permanent attendance,by using a tele-monitoring system that measures nitrogen flow andperformance.

Contact: Air Liquide Medal, 305 Water St., Newport, DE 19804; Tel:302/225-1100, Fax: 302/225-0411.

BIOMEDICAL & BIOMEMBRANE

Pseudo Pores AdvanceStudy of Living Cells

A team of electrical and computer engineers at the University ofWisconsin-Madison has devised a method for investigating living cellsystems by embedding quantum dots, inorganic semiconductornanocrystals, which form pseudo pores in artificial biological mem-branes. By observing how the tiny crystals move through the mem-brane layers, the researchers can examine biological systems on themolecular level. A discovery could lead to new possibilities for ma-nipulating, imaging and understanding the inner workings of cells.

Measuring only millionths of a millimeter, quantum dots are sosmall that the addition or subtraction of electrons changes the dots’properties. Electrical and Computer Engineering Professors Dan vander Weide and Robert Blick with researchers Sujatha Ramachandranand George Kumar, found that by applying voltages to a solution ofquantum dots and membranes similar to those of living cells, the dotswould be pressed into the membranes forming rings, which in turnact as membrane pores. The artificial pores then could be used toexamine living systems to confirm cell behavior that previously hasbeen theorized, but not directly observed.

“To get a feeling of why this is important,” says Blick, “you have tounderstand that each of our cell membranes has specific pores inthem that regulate the flow of ions in and out.” Through these ions,cells build up electric potential and communicate with other cells,performing signal transduction as well as determining how chemi-cals react in the body. For example, when caffeine enters a cell, itstimulates the opening and closing of these ion channels. Using thequantum dots to form artificial pores enhances the flow of ions andcan be controlled from the outside via voltage.

The Wisconsin team initially set out to use the dots to tag mem-brane pores for easier visualization and measurement of the


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booster after the membraneunit, pressuring the nitrogenup to 5,000psi. Nitrogen isused in the molding processto enable even pressure dur-ing extrusion and preventoxidation of the plastic, leav-ing a clean smooth finish.On-site generated nitrogenoffers cost savings, lesssafety concerns and feweroperational issues comparedto handling heavy high-pres-sure gas cylinders or cryo-genic liquids.

LEGISLATION

Desalination Act Intro-duced in Senate. Legisla-tion to increase the federalgovernment’s role in build-ing RO desalination plantshas been introduced for thefirst time in the U.S. Senate,and has been re-introducedin the U.S. House of Repre-sentatives. If passed, Sen-ate bill S. 1016, “The Desali-nation Water Supply Short-age Prevention Act of 2005”would establish a programwithin the DOE to provideEnergy Assistance Paymentsto desalination projects fol-lowing a competitive biddingprocess. Financing wouldcome from the DOE’s renew-able energy program with au-thorization to spend $200million over a ten-year pe-riod. The bill has been re-ferred to the Senate Com-mittee on Energy and Natu-ral Resources.

FUNDING

DOE Backing NCAT H2 Re-search. The DOE has awardedgrants to eight institutionsfor energy research throughthe Historically Black Col-leges and Universities and

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New Innovative UF Technologies for Membranes, Modules and Operation

By P. Berg, inge AG, Flurstrasse 17, 86926 Greifenberg, Germany, Tel: 49 (0) 8192 997 700,Fax: 49 (0) 8192 997 999, email: [email protected]

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

T he market for ultrafiltration is changing: requir-ing higher reliability in operation and loweroperating and investment costs to open up new

each of the seven capillaries (especially the central one) willbe fed the same amount of water. In contrast, the activesubmerged membranes may be found on the outer side.

Multibore has a molecular weight cutoff of approximately100kD, which corresponds to a median pre size of about10nm. Despite the small pores, the membrane has a purewater permeability of approximately 1,000l/m2/h. Fur-thermore, the membrane is highly resistant to cleaningchemicals, such as acids, bases, and oxidizing agentssuch as hydrogen peroxide and chlorine.

Hydrodynamic Optimization

In order to allow the high permeability of the membraneswithin the modules and guarantee an efficient cleaningof the membrane during backwash, a very low pressureloss within the membrane bundles on the permeate sideis of great importance. Thus, it can be guaranteed thateach capillary has the same transmembrane pressure,and no area within the module will receive inferiorcleaning during the backwash. As a consequence, thebackwash period also can be abbreviated to a large extent,increasing the recovery of the whole process of filtration.

To minimize pressure loss between the capillaries, theflow velocity of the water should be constant at everyposition in the module. The inge modules enable this bymeans of a special module housing as well as the uniquearrangement of capillaries in the module.

When inserting the capillaries into the tubular housings,two different types of assembly are used. In the first case,the filtrate collection is accomplished with a centralcollection tube located in the middle of the capillarybundle. Another option is to collect the filtrate from anouter annular gap. In order to achieve an equal distribu-tion rate between the capillaries, the cross-sectional areathat has to be flowed through should be enlarged to thesame extent as the flow volume. This result can beachieved only by using the construction with the outerannular gap, as the use of central filtrate collection willlead to high velocities between the capillaries and thusto substantial pressure losses. For this reason, the ingemodules are produced according to the second optionwith the annular gap construction.

The outer annular gap between the membrane bundleand the pressure vessel, which is used for filtratecollection, is built with a perforated tube. To optimize thedistribution of water within the annular gap, the upperpart located at the permeate connection is not perforated.Thus, a radial flow distribution can be guaranteed,

market segments. To match these requirements, newmembrane materials have to be combined with innova-tive production technologies and thoroughly engineeredmodule design.

Because of the long history in research and operationalexperience inside the inge group, we have managed tointroduce new production technologies to membraneproduction, significantly reducing the risk of fiberbreakage. We have developed a submerged technologythat is able to fulfill all requirements of wastewatertreatment plant operators. And we have re-engineeredthe design of both external and submerged modules, tolower operating costs by improving the efficiency ofbackwash and cleaning.

No Risk of Fiber Breakage

In principle, ultrafiltration provides enormous elimina-tion rates for particles, bacteria and even viruses,independent of the water quality. This means thathighly contaminated waters can be treated effectively toproduce safe drinking water.

To ensure these removal rates, leakage of capillary fibermembranes must be eliminated completely. In additionto high chemical and biological resistance, the mem-brane fiber has to be of extraordinary stability to toleratethe backwash process. This is especially importantwhen operating large water treatment plants transport-ing large volumes of water.

inge AG and S. Search B.V. have therefore developed acapillary membrane which is completely fail-safe. Thisextraordinary stability mainly results from the use of astronger membrane material on a polyethersulfone baseand the honeycomb structure of the seven singlecapillary fibers combined into one fiber. Called Multibore,the structure may be used for outside-in filtration. Forsubmerged membrane technology, e.g. the treatment ofwastewater in outside-in mode, capillaries typically arearranged in parallel like a membrane plate or sheet.

In the Multibore membrane design, the inner layer ofthe seven capillaries represents the very thin activemembrane surface. The outstanding stability of the wallsin between the seven capillaries is secured by a continu-ous foam structure located directly under the activesurface. The pore size of this foam structure is larger thanthe active membrane surface, a fact that guarantees that


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which is especially important for a backwash conductedwith higher volumes. The perforation underneath thenprovides an optimal axial distribution. Small openingsright under the potting material allow a complete de-aeration of the vertically installed module on the permeateside. The optimal solution to minimize pressure loss inthe capillary bundle and to control the flow distributionis a regular arrangement of capillaries with definedspaces. To avoid a complete compaction of the capillariesduring backwash, the capillaries should also be fixedand stabilized. One method to achieve the regulararrangement of the capillaries is the construction of“membrane grids.” Parallel membrane fibers are used tobuild one of these grids. Two of them are then crossed(Figure 1) and spiral wound, thus building an orderedstructure of capillaries with regularly defined spaces.

Figure 1

Multibore Grid

The wound grids are put into the perforated inner tube,which is then inserted into the outer module body. Asdescribed above, a circular annular gap in between theouter body and the inner tube is created, which is usedfor permeate collection as well as the distribution ofbackwash water.

The grid, combined with the above-described moduleconstruction, achieves a hydrodynamic ideal result: theratio of volumetric stream of water that flows in thespaces between the fibers changes in the same ratio asthe passed area of the circle segment. To obtain afiltration unit that is immediately ready for connection,end caps are assembled at both open ends for the feedwater inlet and backwash water outlet. Thus, no addi-tional pressure vessels are necessary. Furthermore, nosealing has to be put between the raw water and thefiltrate side, which guarantees an absolute barrier of themodule when purifying the water. (The inner tube isglued with epoxy to the housing tube.)

To be able to assemble the end caps easily and withouttools, no screws are used for fixation. Instead, the endcaps can be assembled and disassembled simply withthe aid of a flexible plastic bar.

Rack Construction

The construction of the module permits a space saving,cost-efficient assembly of the rack. Modules are mounted

separately and vertically, providing numerous advan-tages:

Due to the fact that a complete aeration and de-aerationis possible, integrity testing can be done in a few min-utes.

Complete aeration guarantees that air cushions do notarise on either the feed side or permeate side. Therefore,each capillary contributes to filtration and backwash.(Air on the feed or permeate side of the module mightarise through the outgassing of supersaturated water,e.g. some ground waters or biologically active waters, orduring integrity testing.)

The complete dewatering of modules installed verticallyon the rack provides the possibility of dry installing oruninstalling the modules by one person. Each modulecan be handled separately without having to removeother modules first. The parallel inflow of the modulesprovides a constant flux through the capillaries. Inaddition, the transport distance for removing the cakelayer from the membrane is very short. Between theracks, a space of less than one meter is sufficient forcomfortable module handling. Additional pressure ves-sels are not necessary.

Operation Modes Cut Costs

When operating filtration modules, the most importantfactor, besides a constant pressure distribution on thepermeate side, is an overflow at each position of thecapillaries (crossflow). If crossflow is carried out byrecirculation using an additional pump, or one that islarger-dimensioned, the result will be far higher capitaland operating costs. Therefore, inge modules are con-structed so that also in dead end mode an overflow ateach position in the module can be adjusted.

During filtration this is achieved by changing the feedbetween the bottom and top connection. During back-wash, the overflow is realized by alternating the collec-tion of the concentrate. Furthermore, this module con-struction enables a forward flush that can be carried outbefore and after the backwash. With the first forwardflush, the loose pollutants can be rinsed off, thusmaking the following backwash more effective. Thesecond forward flush, carried out after the backwashperiod, is intended to remove the cake layer that hasbeen released by the backwash. Besides better cleaningperformance, this operation allows the installation of asmaller permeate tank and substantially increases re-covery because less filtrate has to be used for backwashing.

With this method, filtrate has only to be used for 15seconds. During the remaining 30 seconds of forwardflush, raw water is used. In principle, operation incrossflow mode also is possible. When filtering strongerpolluted raw water, including high turbidity water, therobust Multibore membranes allow a so-called “purgeoperation” to prevent blocking of the capillaries. Duringthe purge mode, the opposite valve is opened for secondsat intervals of some minutes, thus generating a crossflowcleaning.

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current/voltage relationship. Because quantum dots can be en-coded with different colors, they are useful as fluorescent labels forstaining cells. Their resistance to photobleaching and their physi-cal size of less than 10 nanometers are making them increasinglypopular in numerous biomedical applications. According to Blick,“What we found was that quantum dots formed their own pores,which in the long run could mean that we could combine opticalactivity and readout with direct-current recording of cellular activ-ity.”

Because these artificial pores elicit bursts of current in theartificial membranes, the team believes quantum dots could per-form similarly in other excitable cells such as neurons and muscles,and looks forward to understanding how the dots behave in vivo inexcitable cells. The researchers will look next into properties thatcause the artificial pores to open and close.

Contact: Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Uni-versity of Wisconsin-Madison, 2414 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engi-neering Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1691; Tel: 608/262-3840, Fax:608/262-1267. Dan van der Weide, 1439 Engineering Hall, 1415Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1691; Tel: 608/265-6561,Fax: 815/371-3407, email: [email protected].

BioLung ReplicatesNormal Gas Exchange

NovaLung GmbH is commercializing the first total artificial lungable to fully replace the gas exchange capabilities of the humanlung using blood provided by the human heart. Key to the BioLungpumpless artificial lung is a tight heparin-coated, silicon-basedhollow fiber diffusion membrane.

NovaLung already has demonstrated the safety and feasibility of apumpless lung device with its Novalung Interventional Lung Assist(ILA). The low resistance device, which features a hollow fibermembrane gas exchange surface area of 1.3 m2, is the firstartificial lung accommodated with blood pumped by the humanheart, and has been validated in more than 150 clinical applica-tions.

The membrane is essential to the ILA. Featuring very high gasexchange, but low resistance, blood can pass easily through themembrane without a lot of pressure, but can still trade oxygen forCO2 at a very high rate. The patient is attached to the ILA via acannula in the femoral vein. It is not necessary to open thepatient’s chest or even to employ a general anesthetic. The devicerecently received the European CE mark; the company is pursuingFDA approval for U.S. clinical trials.

The BioLung, NovaLung’s second product and the first total artificiallung, is scheduled for introduction in 2006. Similar to the ILA,BioLung needs no mechanical pump, instead relying on the heart’spumping power to send blood from the pulmonary artery through themembrane cartridge. BioLung has undergone intensive benchtesting and animal trials, and is expected to be in human clinicaltrials within two years.

Other Minority Institutionsprogram. Carried out underDOE’s Office of Fossil En-ergy, the projects will be man-aged by DOE’s National En-ergy Technology Laboratory.Grant recipients at NorthCarolina A&T State Univer-sity (NCAT, Greensboro, NC)will develop a composite mem-brane based on palladium andpalladium-silver alloy for hy-drogen separation. The re-searchers will use steam re-forming of methanol by equi-librium shift to demonstratethe membrane as a membranereactor/separator. Used as afuel processor, the systemwill provide high-purity hy-drogen for use in fuel cellsand could be integrated intothe fuel cell system for ve-hicles. The DOE’s share ofthe 36-month project is$199,996.

RESEARCH

Center to Advance Desali-nation Process. The Univer-sity of California’s (Los Ange-les, CA) Henry Samueli Schoolof Engineering and AppliedScience has formed a WaterTechnology Research Centerto develop improved RO tech-nologies for turning brackishor seawater into fresh water.Researchers at the center alsowill study methods to mini-mize environmental impactsassociated with desalinationand will seek to lower theprocess’ cost by integrating itwith renewable energy, en-ergy recovery and solar en-ergy. UCLA chemical engineer-ing professor Yoram Cohenwill head the research facil-ity, dubbed the WaTeR


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In testing on sheep, BioLung demonstrated better survival ratesand less lung injury than a conventional ventilator in five-day testson the animals’ damaged lungs. The prototype was well tolerated inseries with normal sheep pulmonary circulation. Six of eight sheepwith the BioLung versus one of six with mechanical ventilationsurvived. The device could eventually help lung transplant candi-dates stay healthy enough to remain at the top of lung transplantlists. It also may prove suitable for patients with end-stage chronicobstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis or cystic fibrosis.

Initially, BioLung will be used paracorporeally, with grafts connect-ing the patient to an extracorporeal device. This will permit safe,rapid non-surgical replacement of the lung, so that treatmentintervals will not be limited by device durability.

Contact: Novalung GmbH, Lotzenäcker 3, 72379 Hechingen, Ger-many; Tel: +49 7471 98 488-00, Fax: +49 7471 98 488-15.

MARS Okayed forLiver Treatment

Gambro Renal Products has received FDA 510(k) clearance for theMARS-Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System for removingtoxins from the blood in cases of drug overdose and poisoning. MARStherapy is a blood purification system, based on hollow fiber mem-brane cartridges. It uses a recirculating human albumin solutionas the primary agent for removing liver toxins. The support deviceis designed to bridge liver patients to recovery of congenital liverfunction or preparation for liver transplant.

Gambro acquired MARS technology, developed at the University ofRostock, in September 2004, with the purchase of Teraklin AG.During MARS therapy, the patient is connected to Gambro’s Prismasystem, a continuous renal replacement therapy system thatpumps blood through an extracorporeal circuit through a hollowfiber hemodialyzer called the MARS Flux Filter.

A recirculating 20% human albumin dialysate flows on the outsideof the membrane’s albumin-impregnated polysulfone fibers. Livertoxins bind to the albumin and are transported by the bound proteinthrough the MARS membrane. Toxins detach from plasma albuminand bind to membrane-bound albumin because their affinity forpolysulfone-bound albumin is higher.

The membrane pores are sized at 50 kDa, so that hormones andgrowth factors are not removed from the patient’s blood. Thedialysate then is regenerated through columns of activated char-coal and anion exchange resin in a continuous closed circuit. Withits binding sites free again, the albumin solution can be recircu-lated.

MARS therapy will be available in the U.S. toward year-end 2005. Anestimated 70,000 patients per year might benefit from the treat-ment. Annually, about 6,000 patients with no prior history of liverdisease develop acute liver failure from overdoses and blood poison-ing, viral infections, multi-organ failure, underlying chronic dis-

ter. The endeavor has beenawarded a $1 million grantfrom the State of California,and $1.6 million in contribu-tions from other donors. TheCenter anticipates collabo-rative projects enlistingmultidis-ciplinary teams fromseveral academic institutionsincluding UCLA, UC Davis,UC Riverside, USC and theUniversitat Rovira i Virgili inSpain.

PATENTS

Angled Wells ImproveYields, Reproducibility.Millipore Corp. (Billerica, MA)has been granted U.S. Patent6,899,810 for a multiwell UF orMF filter plate that includes amechanism to adjust the angleof the membranes within thewells relative to a line of acentrifuge. The line is perpen-dicular to centrifuge’s axis ofrotation and passes throughthe center of a major plane ofthe filtering device, control-ling the force vector tangen-tial to the membrane. Theangle can include a wedge lo-cated between the center ofrotation of a centrifuge and aswinging bucket of the centri-fuge, or may be located withineach well, providing individu-ally specified angles for eachmembrane. In either case, theangle can be adjusted in a top-to-bottom orientation, a side-to-side orientation or both atop-to-bottom and a side-to-side orientation. The deviceimproves upon fixed well platesby increasing the average vol-ume filtered and by providinga filtrate volume with littlewell-to-well variability.

Controllable Micro-Tubu-lar Materials. University ofMichigan scientists have pat

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eases and alcohol abuse.

Contact: Gambro Renal Products, 10810 W. Collins Ave., Lakewood,CO 80215; Tel: 303/232/6800, Fax: 303/231-4032.

NON-SEPARATING

Separion Suitable forHEV Batteries

DeGussa researchers report that the “Holy Grail of the automotiveindustry — reduced weight coupled with improved performance,”could soon become reality by improving a rather neglected carcomponent, the battery. Incorporating DeGussa’s Separion mem-brane as the separator could take lithium-ion batteries into en-tirely new applications in HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles).

Used widely as a power supply for notebook computers, cell phonesand other portable electronics, lithium-ion batteries have provedlighter and more powerful than conventional lead or nickel-cad-mium cells. Applied as a power source in HEVs, the batteries have thepotential to save gas and protect the environment. When the vehicle’sbrake is applied, a generator produces power that is stored in thebattery and helps to operate the engine. Gas savings from recoveringbraking energy is estimated at up to 25%. However, conventionallarge lithium ion batteries used in HEVs may present a safety hazard.In cases of voltage overload from faulty application, the batteries canoverheat to 800°C and melt, sometimes causing a vehicle fire.

Developed by DeGussa’s R&D arm Creavis Technologies, the thin,ceramic-coated Separion membrane can prevent such hazards.Safety tests show that when the membrane is used to separate alithium ion battery’s positive and negative poles, the cell heats toonly 77°C. In addition the membrane offers higher efficiency, whichmeans higher output per unit weight, over a longer period.

Creavis began developing flexible ceramic membranes five yearsago. The first products were filtration membranes for food process-ing, biotech and wastewater treatment. However, the initial prod-ucts were too heavy and thick for use in batteries.

Separion separators now are suitable as battery separators, com-bining the flexibility of ultrathin polymeric membranes with thehydrophilicity and chemical/thermal resistance of ceramic mate-rials. The membrane is manufactured by coating inorganic mate-rial onto a nonwoven support, without the use of polymeric binders.Various pore sizes are selectively obtained through the use ofdifferent inorganic suspensions. Because of its ceramic properties,Separion is more temperature-stable than conventional separa-tors. This contributes toward preventing short circuits in batteries.The separator has long-term stability at temperatures up to 210°Cand can tolerate higher temperatures for short periods. Separion’sshutdown mechanism can be set to a defined temperature pointbetween about 80°C and 150°C.

Cenented a process for fabri-cating highly porous (up to97%), parallel, micro-tubular,oriented scaffolds from biode-gradable polymers using anovel phase-separationmethod. The porous materialshave wide applicability, includ-ing scaffolding materials fortissue regeneration, mem-brane-based medical devicessuch as dialyzers, matrix ma-terials for reactors or biore-actors, controlled release ma-trices, wound dressings, pack-aging and separation mem-branes. The method comprisesthe steps of: mixing a polymerwith a liquid to form a compo-sition, changing the tempera-ture to cause phase separa-tion of the composition with adirectional temperature gradi-ent, and then removing an un-necessary phase. Porosity,micro-tube diameter, tubularmorphology (polygon, circularor other geometric or non-geo-metric shaped cross-sections)and their orientation may becontrolled by the polymer con-centration, solvent system andtemperature gradient. (U.S.Patent 6,899,873)

Lattice Matching Mini-mizes Mechanical Failure.Eltron Research (Golden, CO)has received U.S. Patent6,899,744 for improved com-posite hydrogen transportmembranes used for extract-ing hydrogen from gas mix-tures. The patent describesthe use of supports for metaland metal alloy membranesthat have high hydrogen per-meability, but are too thin tobe self-supporting, too weakto resist differential pres-sures across the membrane,or become embrittled by hy-drogen. The support materi-als are lattice matched to themetals and metal alloys. Thisminimizes stress at the in-ternal interfaces, reducing the


13

Because of the hydrophilic character of the membrane materials,the separator has excellent wettability, exceeding that of polyolefinseparators. Separion is immediately wetted in all commonly usedsolvents. When impregnated with an electrolyte, the separator haslow ionic resistance because of its high porosity and film thinness.

The separator production method is a continuous process in whichan ultrathin nonwoven polymer is impregnated with a suspension,and then dried and hardened. The suspension consists of a liquidcontaining metal oxides and adhesion promoters, which form theceramic coating and gives the membrane its outstanding proper-ties. Separion production at DeGussa’s Marl, Germany plant isprojected to reach two million square meters in 2005, a tenfoldincrease from 2004 levels.

In addition to the automotive industry, DeGussa hopes to apply Sep-arion technology to batteries for e-bikes — bicycles with an electricengine. Germany’s Deutsche Post is currently testing Separion-based batteries in a large-scale bike trial. But, the companyprimarily is targeting the Asian market. In China alone, 7.5 millione-bikes were sold last year.

Contact: Gerhard Hörpel, Ceramic Membranes, Creavis Technolo-gies and Innovation, DeGussa AG, Paul-Baumann-Strasse 1, D-45764 Marl, Germany; Tel: +49-2365 49-01.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Alliance to CutDesalination Methods

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Metropolitan Water District ofSouthern California have entered into a cooperative researchagreement to test three RO pilot projects at Reclamation’s WaterQuality Improvement Center in Yuma, AZ. The processes examinedin the projects have the potential to develop non-traditional watersupplies; reduce the cost of desalination; and increase the amountof water available after treatment. The $3 million research agree-ment includes in-kind and cash contributions from both the bureauand the water district.

In the first project, the research team will test replacing MF pre-treatment to RO with pretreatment consisting of ozone andbiofiltration processes. The research will determine if ozone/biofiltration is cost effective in maximizing feed water quality andminimizing membrane fouling.

In the second project, researchers will study the performance of 18-inch RO modules, the largest currently available elements. Theproject will be the first demonstration of membranes of this size usedas part of a complete water treatment system and will evaluate howwell the membranes perform when operated at 85%, or greater, waterrecovery on conventionally pretreated water. Researchers also hopeto determine how often the membranes must be cleaned, and theoptimal cleaning strategy needed.

formation of dislocations,leak paths and sites for crackinitiation. The membrane canbe latticed-matched to a po-rous metal or alloy support, aporous ceramic support or aporous cermet support. Lat-tice matching does not applyto composite membranesthat employ non-crystallineorganic polymers or resins ascomponents.

Particles Sorb InactivatingAgents. Baxter International(Deerfield, IL) has patentednovel composite membranesconsisting of particulate mate-rial immobilized within a poly-meric matrix and methods formaking the membranes. The400 micron or thicker flexiblecomposites include a selectedquantity of fine activated car-bon sorbent particles less than20ìm in diameter immobilizedin a polymer such as polyure-thane. The membranes areuseful for removing organic com-pounds (i.e. acridine, L-glu-tathione) that have been addedto a biological fluid, such asblood, as part of a pathogen in-activation treatment.

PRODUCTS

MP4 Filters Paint Faster.Orelis (Miribel, France) hasimproved its popular Pleiademembrane module, a plateand frame system used widelyby auto manufacturers for theultrafiltration of electro-phoretic paints. The new MP4

module offers higher perfor-mance with lower energy re-quirements and can directlyreplace spiral wound ele-ments on existing skids. Eachlong-lived membrane has ashutoff valve, which permitsdamaged ones to be identi-fied and isolated. Modules areavailable in two versions, theMP4 50, which has a paint flow

14


WHO’S WHO IN MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY

Pionetics Founder Brings Water Splitting Home

Eric Nyberg is the founder and president of San Carlos, California-based Pionetics, developers ofLINX technology and the first residential water purifier based on ion exchange membranes.

MST: How did you become involved in membrane technology?

EN: In graduate school at the University of Illinois, I was starting to use ion exchange materials, but notas membranes. Then at Raychem Corp. in the 1980s, in an electrochemistry group, I began casting ionexchange layers on electrodes. That’s what I refer to as a membrane, a layer of ion exchange material.

MST: How was Pionetics established and how has the firm been funded?

EN: Pionetics was founded in 1995, so that we, the two co-founders and I, could assign a licensingagreement from Raychem to the corporation. In 1997, we filed for our basic patent and assigned that toPionetics. We were funded by the founders for the first six years. After that, we raised funds from individualprivate investors, 10 or 15 bridge investors. In May of 2003, five venture capital firms led by NGEN cameon board with $3.2 million in our Series B round. We closed on our Series C round in November ’04 with$6.4 million.

MST: Tell us briefly about Pionetics technology and product portfolio.

EN: The technology is named LINX, an acronym that stands for electrically regenerable ion exchange. Weare doing a classic ion exchange process using electricity to regenerate the material rather than usingchemicals. In that sense, it’s probably not a membrane process in the way normally thought of, it’s moreof a batch ion exchange process. But, all of our ion exchange materials are in the form of long sheets. Weuse electricity to accelerate the extraction of ions from water as they pass through a cartridge that we spiralwind from our membranes. The cartridge is sitting between two electrodes, which provide the electric fieldand a driving force such as in an electrodialysis cell, but our extraction process is fundamentally different.

At some point, the ion exchange capacity of the membrane is consumed, or exhausted, and it’s time forregeneration. We reverse the polarity on the electrodes, slowly pass a solution through the cartridge, andexpel the ions that were absorbed in the previous step back into the solution to make a concentrate. Thisis usually a waste stream, but can be something that is recovered, as well. Regeneration takes about tenminutes. The system is then ready for another deionization step.

Our first product is a point of use drinking water system. We’re just starting to sell the first units now forfield trials. (See “LINX Wastes Less Water,” this issue)

MST: What goals do you have for the company near term (next two to three years) and longer term?

EN: In the next three years, we want to firmly entrench the under sink drinking water system in a varietyof geographies. We’re finding that the Asian market is really hungry for a drinking water system that doesn’twaste much water, doesn’t take much space and doesn’t use much power. We’re planning to entrenchourselves in China, India and other countries in Asia, and in Latin America, as well as penetrate theEuropean and U.S. market with point of use.

We have a relationship with a leading residential water softening company. The technology scales up welland we’ve actually built prototypes with this partner that treat up to ten gallons per minute. It would bea point of entry system that would compete with classic ion exchange systems for softening water ortreating water for the whole house.

MST: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as company president?


15

rate of 16m3/h and a perme-ate output of 500l/h, ad theMP4 70, which has a paintflow rate of 23m3/h and apermeate output of 700l/h.Standard skids contain two,four, six, eight or ten mod-ules.

Polydisc Optimized forGroundwater SamplePrep. Whatman Inc.(Middlesex, UK) has debutedthe Polydisc GW, a ready-to-use in line disc filter forpreparing groundwatersamples prior to dissolvedheavy metals analysis. In-corporating a pre-rinsed, hy-drophilic cellulose acetatemembrane, Polydisc GW wasdeveloped especially forsample filtration in trace an-alysis. Housed in durablepolypropylene, the devicefeatures a pre-tested quartz-fiber pre-filter and a mem-brane in a sandwich designfor high absorption capacityof dirt. The large effectivesurface area, 20.4cm2, en-sures rapid collection ofsamples. Polydisc GW meetsEPA regulations for sampleswhen analyzing dissolved orsuspended metals ingroundwater.

CALENDAR

August 22-23, The Futureof Desalination in Texas:

The third project calls for a new concentrate recovery technology tobe fed by the reject stream of a large-diameter RO unit. The projectgoal is to confirm previous pilot-scale research, which produced a95% water recovery, a 10% increase compared to traditional ROrecovery. The concentrate recovery process involves chemicalremoval of compounds with the greatest fouling potential, followedby treatment with a second RO system.

Contact: Peter Soeth, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver FederalCenter, Building 67, P.O. Box 25007 (D-8000), Denver, C) 80225-0007; Tel: 303/445-3615 email: [email protected].

Cranfield MBRProjects Funded

Cranfield University has received a funding package of nearly $1million to bring six water treatment technologies to commercial-ization. Two of the technologies are based on membrane bioreactors.The funding package includes a $271,000 investment from NESTA(National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), $271,000from Oxford Technology 4 VCT, $96,000 from Cranfield EnterprisesLtd. and $349,000 from business angels.

The technologies are in development by Water Innovate Ltd. (WIL),part of Cranfield University’s School of Water Sciences (SWS), a spinoff dedicated to bringing research in water and wastewater sectorsto the marketplace. Anthony Bennett, spokesperson for the spin off,tells MST that WIL currently is concentrating on commercializingthree non-membrane technologies: OdorSim odor modeling soft-ware, N-Tox nitrification toxicity monitoring and a high perfor-mance chemical additive.

To be developed later, the two MBR technologies include the Mem-brane Chemical Reactor (MCR) and the Odor Extraction MembraneReactor (OEMR).

• The MCR uses ultraviolet light combined with a titanium dioxide(TiO2) catalyst in a small footprint membrane reactor that treatshigh COD and colored effluents such as those produced by thedyeing industry. The system is the first practicable application ofUV-TiO2 technology for pollutant removal. • The OEMR uses hollow fiber membranes that allow diffusion ofhydrogen sulfide and related odor-causing molecules from the gas

EN: It’s a brand new technology for a conservative, slow moving industry. I’ve been convinced for quitesome time that our point of use application is an excellent fit given the drawbacks of RO, but getting largecompanies to move and to make a bet is tough, especially when you’re a startup. It’s really about findinga high quality, large partner that wants to move relatively quickly.

MST: If you weren’t Pionetics’ president, what would you be doing?

EN: My goal is to work in Third World countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia introducing people at avillage level to our technology. I think it’s going to be a great fit.

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phase into an aqueous, scrubbing phase. The scrubbing phase canbe undertaken using traditional chemical or biological methods.Depending on the stage of development, Water Innovate will takethe technologies to market over the next 4 to 18 months.

Contact: Steve Callister, Managing Director, Water Innovate, Ltd.,School of Water Sciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield,Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK; Tel: +44 07879 870741, email:[email protected].

Membrane DesalinationWorkshop, Texas A&M Uni-versity, College Station,Texas. Contact: ConnieConaway, Petroleum Engi-neering Department, 710Richardson Bldg., TAMU-3116, College Station,TX 77843-3116; Tel: 979/845-2272, Fax: 979/862-7407, email: [email protected].

August 21-26, ICOM 2005-International Congress onMembranes and MembraneProcesses, Lotte HotelJamsil, Seoul, Korea. Con-tact: INSESSION Interna-tional Convention Services,Inc., 3rd Floor, 672-35Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu,Seoul 135-915, Korea; Tel:+82-2-3471-8555, Fax: +82-2-521-8683, email: [email protected].

This LastCompany Symbol Month Month Change

Air Products & Chemicals APD 60.270 60.230 +0.040Commodore Separation Tech. CXOT 0.009 0.009 -Cuno, Inc. CUNO.OB 71.430 71.100 +0.330Hyflux, Ltd.* SGX:HYFL.SI 2.515 2.304 +0.211Millipore Corp. MIL 56.640 51.900 +4.740Mykrolis Corp. MYK 14.260 13.490 +0.770Pall Corp. PLL 30.450 29.190 +1.260Praxair, Inc. PX 46.500 46.870 -0.370Sartorius AG* XE.SRT 22.033 20.978 +1.055Whatman plc* LSE:WHM.L 4.807 4.705 +0.102Zenon Environmental ZEN.TO 24.720 25.350 -0.630

MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY STOCK WATCH

(At close, June 30, 2005)

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