LONDON, England - Membrane technology for water filtration has come on a long way since it was first introduced.
Improvements in flux, resistance to biofouling and reductions in energy consumption have all made membranes the go-to technology of choice, particularly for desalination plants where they make up 95 percent of the market.
The question now facing manufacturers is how will the technology be improved further? How will new materials, such as graphene, improve membrane filtration?
WWi spoke with membrane guru Dr Graeme Pearce, an independent consultancy with a whopping 37 years experience in the industry to find out more.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IDA World Congress in São Paul, Brazil, Dr Pearce outlined some of the innovations that caught his eye at the show, including a “Big Data” solution from Australian company CMS Innovations which can provide intel on single membrane modules, rather than entire blocks.
He also gave a note of caution to some of the bold claims coming out about graphene and said the industry is still trying to overcome the operational challenge of membrane biofouling.
The full interview with Dr Pearce can be viewed above.
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