News and Views Reverse osmosis plant tackles Madras crisis A reverse osmosis plant ordered by Madras Fertilisers from Nuchem Weir, the Joint venture company of Weir Westgarth and Nuchem Plastics of Faridabad, India, is now being commissioned. It will produce 3 million imperial gallons of water a day for use in the fertilizer plant's cooling towers and so release a similar quantity of drinking water for the city of Madras. Demand for water in the area in the year 2002 is forecast to be 283 million gallons per day, compared to the 91 mgpd avallable in a normal year, and only 28 mgpd during droughts. Increasingly, water from the Madras Fertilisers plant has had to be diverted to make up for shortages of domestic drinking water, and the plant has had to be shut down. Much of the water is used for cooling, and It was decided that reverse osmosis desalination of tertiary treated sewage would provide water of sufficient quality and release an equal amount of potable water. The feedwater undergoes several pretreatment stages including stainless steel mesh filter, sand filters, chlorination and chlorine removal, before entering the RO module, which is based on a polyamide spiral wound membrane. The plant has three streams, each with its own cartridge filter, high pressure pump and dosage pumps. The RO plant uses its own reject water for backwashing the membranes. The reject water is then treated by acid and caustic dosing to bring it to the standards required for discharge. Further Informatlon from: Emrys Inker, The Weir Group Plc, Cathcart, Glasgow G44 4EX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)41 637 711 I. Fax: +44 (0)41 637 2221. Reverse osmosis membranes with Beacon Weir Duogllde pumps. Waste minimization and effluent treatment seminar A one-day seminar on 'Membranes for Waste Minimization and Effluent Treatment' will be held on 8 July 1993 in London, UK. Applications of membrane technology to effluent treatment is a growing area: as discharge consents become tighter, new processes are needed. Some companies have alredy Insta]led membrane treatment plant for certain effluents but there are many other potential applications. The theme of thls seminar will be examination of legal requirements for effluent discharge, followed by case histories of established waste treatment processes using membranes, leading to discussion of opportunities for its use In unexploited areas. The main areas to be examined are: • advances in membranes and equipment; • changing aspects of legislation for discharge; and • improved understanding and demonstration of membrane technology as a clean, efficient and reliable unit operation. Further Informatlon from: Nigel Blake, 353 Harwell, Dldcot, Oxon OX11 ORA, UK. Tel: +44 (0)235 434651. Fax: +44 (0)235 432997. Separations for energy applications The US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Subdivision of Separation Science and Technology of the American Chemical Society, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers are sponsoring the eighth of a series of symposia entitled Separation Science and Technology for Energy Applications. This symposium will be held 24-28 October 1993, in Gaflinburg, Tennessee, USA. Topics that are expected to be emphasized are: • Solvent extraction; * Adsorption, ion exchange, and chromatography; • Membrane separations; • Separation methods for waste management; and • Novel or new separation techniques. As with previous symposia, a special poster session Membrane Technology No. 32 5
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N e w s a n d V i e w s
R e v e r s e o s m o s i s p lant t a c k l e s Madras cr i s i s A reverse osmosis p lan t o rdered by Madras Fert i l isers from Nuchem Weir, the Joint ven ture company of Weir Westgar th and Nuchem Plast ics of Fa r idabad , India, is now be ing commiss ioned.
It will p roduce 3 mil l ion imper ia l gal lons of water a day for u se in the fertilizer p l an t ' s cooling towers and so re lease a s imi lar quan t i ty of dr inking water for the city of Madras .
Demand for water in the a rea in the year 2002 is forecast to be 283 mil l ion gal lons per day, compared to the 91 mgpd aval lable in a normal year, and only 28 mgpd dur ing droughts . Increasingly, water from the Madras Fer t i l i sers p lan t h a s h a d to be diverted to make u p for shor tages of domest ic d r ink ing water, and the p lan t h a s h a d to be shu t down. Much of the water is u sed for cooling, and It was decided tha t reverse osmosis desa l ina t ion of te r t ia ry t rea ted sewage would provide water of sufficient qual i ty and re lease an equal a m o u n t of potable water.
The feedwater unde rgoes several p re t r ea tmen t s tages inc luding s t a in less steel mesh filter, s and filters, chlor inat ion and chlor ine removal, before enter ing the RO module, which is based on a polyamide spiral wound membrane .
The p lan t h a s three s t reams , each with i ts own car t r idge filter, high p r e s s u r e p u m p and dosage pumps .
The RO p lan t u se s i ts own reject water for backwash ing the membranes . The reject water is then t rea ted by acid and caus t ic dos ing to br ing it to the s t a n d a r d s requi red for discharge.
Further Informatlon from: Emrys Inker, The Weir Group Plc, Cathcart, Glasgow G44 4EX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)41 637 711 I. Fax: +44 (0)41 637 2221.
Reverse osmosis membranes with Beacon Weir Duogllde pumps.
Waste m i n i m i z a t i o n and e f f l u e n t t r e a t m e n t s e m i n a r A one-day seminar on 'Membranes for Waste Minimizat ion and Effluent Trea tment ' will be held on 8 J u l y 1993 in London, UK.
Appl icat ions of m e m b r a n e technology to effluent t r ea tmen t is a growing area: a s d ischarge consen ts become tighter, new p rocesses are needed. Some companies have a l redy Insta]led m e m b r a n e t r ea tment p lan t for cer ta in effluents bu t there are m a n y other potent ia l appl icat ions . The theme of th ls seminar will be examina t ion of legal r equ i rements for effluent d ischarge, followed by case h is tor ies of es tab l i shed was te t r ea tmen t p rocesses us ing membranes , leading to d i scuss ion of oppor tun i t ies for i ts use In unexplo i ted areas .
The ma in a r eas to be examined are:
• advances in m e m b r a n e s a n d equipment ;
• changing aspec t s of legislat ion for discharge; and
• improved u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d demons t r a t ion of m e m b r a n e technology as a clean, efficient and rel iable uni t operat ion. Further Informatlon from: Nigel Blake, 353 Harwell,
S e p a r a t i o n s for e n e r g y a p p l i c a t i o n s The US Depar tmen t of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Subdivis ion of Separa t ion Science and Technology of the Amer ican Chemical Society, a n d the Amer ican Ins t i tu te of Chemical Engineers a r e
sponsor ing the eighth of a ser ies of sympos ia enti t led Separa t ion Science and Technology for Energy Applicat ions. This sympos ium will be he ld 24-28 October 1993, in Gafl inburg, Tennessee , USA.
Topics tha t are expected to be emphas ized are:
• Solvent extract ion;
* Adsorpt ion, ion exchange, and chromatography;
• Membrane separa t ions ;
• Separa t ion me thods for was te managemen t ; a n d
• Novel or new sepa ra t ion techniques . As with previous symposia , a special pos ter sess ion
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N e w s a n d V i e w s
is being scheduled for the presentat ion of selected papers on the session topics Indicated, as well as for the description of significant advances in other areas of separation science.
Further information from: Dr J.T. Bell, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6223, USA. Tel: +1 615 574 4934.
D i r e c t o r y for w a t e r a n d w a s t e w a t e r t r e a t m e n t a v a i l a b l e The section for water and waste water t reatment within VDMA (German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers Association) has announced the release of the 3rd revised and amended edition of "Technologies and Processes for Water and Waste Water Treatment."
The aim of this brochure is to acquaint domestic and international public authorities, associations, engineering firms and industrial enterprises with the range of supplies and services offered by 47 member companies.
Practical examples indicate what possibilities decision-makers now have if they wish to use state-of-the art techniques for water and waste water treatment.
The bilIngual German/Engl l sh brochure also contains a schematic overview of the relevant legal provisions in Germany.
The brochure can be obtained free of charge. Further Informatlon from: Section water and was te
P r o c e e d i n g s o n m e m b r a n e p r o c e s s e s p u b l i s h e d The proceedings of a BHR Group conference held 12-14 May 1993 In Bath, UK have now been published by Mechanical Engineering Publications of Suffolk, UK. Entitled 3rd International Conference on Effective Membrane Processes - - New Perspectives, the book is edited by R. Patterson. It looks at
technological innovations and effective membrane processes in the rapidly increasing field of membrane technology. The book is presented In hardback, contains 404 pages and costs £57.00.
The range of membrane technology applications fully or partially Implemented as Industrial processes now Includes electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, mlcroflltrations, pervaporatlon, gas separations, and, most recently, membrane reactors, which combIne catalysis and separation of products from reactants In a sIngle step.
The application of membranes to gas separations is a major research and development project at present, and the range of applications increases day-by-day, indicating the confidence which busIness and governments have In membrane processes.
In all aspects of preparative technology and waste treatment, membrane processes are now replacing conventional ones, and the ever-IncreasIng demand for energy-saving and environmental protection will make the adoption of Integrated membrane separation technologies ever more essential to successful chemical, biochemical, medical and pharmaceut ical industries.
It is a tradition of this Conference to concentrate on new developments in this field, and Effective Membrane Processes - - New Perspectives is a reflection of these alms.
The contents include:
• Pharmaceutical: The extraction of dilute fermentation products using high Internal phase emulsions (aphrons); Separation of penicillin G with hollow fibre contained liquid membrane system; Membrane bioreactors for two-liquid phase biotransformations.
• Food: Continuous hydrolysis of cassava flour s tarch In an enzymatic membrane reactor; Recycle reverse osmosis systems - - some performance guides; AttainIng an effective membrane process.
• Water and Effluent: Applications of ion exchange membranes, current state of the technology after 45 years; The use of membranes In the activated sludge process; Energy efficient crossflow microffltration; Removal of hydrocarbons from waste water by pertraction; Immobilization of bacteria in composite membranes and development of tubular membrane reactors for heavy metal recuperation.
* Oil and Gas: Integrated membrane systems with moving liquid carriers for mult icomponent gas separation; Polyaniline membranes for gas separation and ESR experIments; The performance of a membrane vacuum degasser; Correlations between structural factors and permeation properties in polyimides.
• Manufacturing: Polyetherketones - - new high performance polymers for ultraffltration membranes; Modified polysulfones as membrane electrolytes. Further Informatlon from: Mechanical Engineering
