LANXESS Introduces Reverse Osmosis Membrane Elements

LANXESS Sybron Chemicals Inc. introduced three new types of Lewabrane membrane separation elements for reverse osmosis at this year’s 2013 American Membrane Technology Assn./American Water Works Assn. Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition, Feb. 25 to 28, 2013 in San Antonio. The new products are available now for waters with strong fouling potential.

The new membranes have surface areas of 400, 370, and 90 sq ft. Lewabrane RO B400 FR and B370 FR have diameters of 8 in., while Lewabrane RO B090 FR 4040 has a diameter of 4 in.

All Lewabrane products comprise a polyamide composite membrane, wound in several layers to form a spiral-shaped element.

“Our membrane separation elements are characterized by a high degree of polymerization and a low surface charge, which in itself reduces the accumulation of dissolved solids at the membrane surface, a phenomena known as concentration polarization,” says Alan Sharpe, head of the RO Membrane Strategic Project at parent company LANXESS AG’s Ion Exchange Resins business unit. Furthermore, a special feed spacer has been incorporated in the newly developed FR types.

In membrane separation, fouling describes the process by which dissolved solids form deposits on the membrane surface, leading to a reduction in separation capacity. The new FR elements from LANXESS reduce this kind of fouling, thereby extending maintenance intervals and increasing output capacity.

LANXESS has expanded its design tool for industrial water treatment. With the LewaPlus tool, complete systems can now be designed that employ different separation processes. Previously, the tool was only capable of engineering reverse osmosis and ion exchange systems separately. With the expanded version, a reverse osmosis process can now be engineered with a downstream ion exchanger and, if necessary, even with an intermediate degasification system.

Source: LANXESS Sybron Chemicals Inc.