• Driplex Water Engineering Limited

Ultra filtration systems

Ultra filtration systems engineered by Driplex incorporates Romicon hollow fibre (HF) ultra filtration membrane cartridges, which are designed for use in industrial pilot plants and laboratory applications. Each HF membrane cartridge contains a bundle of parallel hollow fibre membrane sealed into a clear, PVC or poly sulfanate cartridge shell. The technology is essentially similar for most applications. The process stream flows under pressure through the inside or lumen of the fibres. Separation occurs at the liquid/membrane interface. Higher molecular weight solutes and solvent pass through the membrane skin under the driving force of the pressure and are collected in the cartridge shell. The membrane fibres are anisotropic, with a skin on the inside surface and sponge-like structure on the outside. Any species, which can pass through the skin, can easily pass through the outer surface, fouling therefore, occurs only on the inner skin from which it can easily be removed. Rejected solutes and particulate build up on the inside skin through concentration polarisation. The flow along hollow fibres is controlled to produce high sheer forces which set to breakaway rejected species and force them down stream. The unique anisotropic design results in high-strength, self supporting fibres which tolerate reverse pressure and flow. This allows the membrane fibres to be back-flushed under pressure as an aid to maintaining continuous high permeate flow.