Robust Ultrafiltration Solutions for Brazil

Ultrafiltration (UF) is more popular than ever for many kinds of water treatment. It has steadily gained momentum over the past 15 to 20 years, especially for more challenging types of feed water such as surface, waste and sea water. Among other applications, inge® UF can be used as a pretreatment process for reverse osmosis (RO). Its highly robust Multibore® membranes provide better water quality than conventional methods, and the modules offer an unparalleled service life.

A piped water supply from the municipal waterworks is an expensive option for Brazilian businesses and industrial concerns. Getting connected to the mains costs between eight and 20 times more than drilling a well and treating the water, especially with the availability of treatment methods such as ultrafiltration membranes, which reliably remove particles, bacteria and even viruses from the water.

Puri Azul, an appointed distributor for inge® products in Brazil, builds UF systems to desalinate and purify seawater and brackish water with a combination of UF and RO. Recent examples include systems in Rio de Janeiro (UF capacity of 240 m³/day) and São Paulo (180 m³/day). These treatment plants can produce one cubic meter of water at a lower cost than the same amount piped from a waterworks.

To demonstrate the benefits of UF - including outstanding performance and consistently high-quality treated water - inge® and Puri Azul offer potential customers the opportunity to run their own pilot project. More than a dozen waterworks all over Brazil have already taken up this offer, and the results look promising. www.inge.basf.com