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Why can microfiltration membranes effectively filter pathogens and make our drinking water safer?
With the increasing shortage and pollution of water resources, ensuring the safety of drinking water has become increasingly important. Microfiltration technology, as a physical filtration process, plays a key role. In this article, we’ll explore how microfiltration membranes can effectively filter microorganisms and suspended particles, thereby making our drinking water safer.
Microfiltration is a physical filtration process that effectively removes pathogens between 0.1 and 10 microns in diameter.
Basic principles of microfiltration
Microfiltration mainly filters liquids through membranes with special pore sizes to separate microorganisms (microorganisms) and suspended particles. These membranes not only remove large particles such as sediment, algae, protozoa and large bacteria, but can also be used in conjunction with separation processes such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to provide a product stream free of undesirable contaminants.
In the microfiltration process, due to the design of the membrane, particles exceeding a certain size cannot pass. Therefore, this filtration can also be used as a pre- or post-treatment method for other filtration technologies. Its filtration efficiency is high, and unfiltered liquid can pass through at a relatively high speed (about 1-3 m/s), making the entire filtration process efficient and time-saving.
Microfiltration membranes serve as a means of physical isolation, unlike traditional chemical disinfection which requires additional costs and equipment.
Application scope of microfiltration
Water treatment
Microfiltration plays an important role in the treatment of potable water. Through microfiltration membranes, raw water streams can become contaminated with pathogens such as the cryptid-threat Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia, which exhibit progressively increasing resistance in the face of traditional disinfectants such as chlorine. The use of this type of membrane not only improves water safety, but also reduces the use of chemicals.
Cold disinfection
Microfiltration membranes are also widely used in the cold sterilization of beverages and pharmaceutical products. Compared with traditional thermal sterilization methods, microfiltration technology can better retain the flavor and effect of the product while removing bacteria and other unnecessary suspended solids.
Petroleum refining
With the advancement of technology, microfiltration has also begun to be applied in petroleum refining, which can effectively remove particulate matter emitted from flue gas.
Dairy processing
In the dairy industry, microfiltration membranes can be used to remove bacteria and spores in milk, which not only extends the shelf life of products, but is also an important measure in the production of ingredients such as sterols.
Microfiltration enables most industries to produce in a more environmentally friendly and efficient manner, reducing the use of chemical disinfectants.
The principle and configuration of microfiltration
Characteristics of the filtering process
The key to the microfiltration process is the driving force, retention flow and permeate flow. These factors affect the performance of the filter membrane. The driving force is often water pressure, which by design increases the velocity of the flow to encourage the separation process.
Membrane configuration
Microfiltration membrane configurations are generally divided into two types: cross-flow filtration and dead-end filtration. The former is suitable for fluids passing through the membrane surface, while the latter passes all liquids directly through the membrane.
With good membrane system design, microfiltration can not only maintain high efficiency, but also use simpler settings.
Conclusion
Today, when the safety of drinking water is increasingly concerned, microfiltration membrane technology has demonstrated its importance. Through such technology, pathogens in water can be effectively removed, making our lives safer. However, with the advancement of technology, will more effective filtration technologies appear in the future?
