Ultrafiltration/Microfiltration Membrane Applications and Development Prospects

Global water pollution is deteriorating day by day, and water safety problems are becoming more and more serious. Membrane technology is currently the most ideal water treatment technology in the world. Ultrafiltration and microfiltration (UF/MF) membrane technology has become an important membrane process and has been widely used and promoted in China.

Ultrafiltration membranes and microfiltration membranes account for 50-60% of the entire membrane market share in the United States, Japan, and Europe. They are widely used in the separation and purification of chemical processes, wastewater purification and recovery of useful components, zero discharge of industrial wastewater, and activated sludge membranes. Waste (sewage) water treatment and reuse (membrane bioreactor, MBR), etc. In recent years, through independent innovation and introduction, digestion and absorption, domestic enterprises have launched many excellent new technologies and products in the field of UF/MF.

The high-end fields in the domestic UF/MF market (ultrapure water for the electronics industry, electrophoretic paint recovery, pharmaceuticals, enzyme preparations, etc.) are currently basically controlled by foreign companies, but domestic membranes in the middle and low-end water purification markets are cheap occupies a large share. In my country, ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes are widely used in the double-membrane process. Domestic membranes not only meet the requirements in terms of performance but also have price advantages. Coupled with the cumbersome procedures for imported ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes, the market share of domestic membranes will increase to a greater extent.

According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 1,500 application examples of UF/MF. It is mainly used in drinking water treatment in foreign countries, and it is mainly used in industrial wastewater treatment and reuse in China. It has been recognized as a pre-treatment of reverse osmosis. The dual-membrane technology of UF/RO and MF/RO combination is widely used in domestic industrial water treatment, especially in electric power, steel, chemical industry, automobile and other industries. With the country's increasing investment in water resource reuse, UF/MF technology will gain a broad market space as an important means of urban safe water supply, municipal sewage treatment, and reclaimed water reuse. UF(MF)/RO Double-membrane process, membrane bioreactor technology will also be developed rapidly. Inorganic membranes, especially ceramic membranes and metal membranes will also be developed because of their high temperature resistance, organic solvent resistance, and acid and alkali resistance.

Membrane separation technology is recognized by the international industry as one of the major industrial technologies in the 21st century. Under the background of current international and domestic water resource shortage, under the situation that our country adheres to the scientific development concept and vigorously develops circular economy, as an efficient means of water resource reuse, membrane separation technology is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes will have more brilliant development prospects.