In our membrane systems, we utilise instrumentation and equipment of high quality from the most reliable and proven suppliers. Depending on requirements, Esmil can comply with the highest quality standards e.g. ASME, which is used for the most hazardous industries, such as Oil&Gas. As a part of our Quality and Control management system, we carry out different testing of the fabricated equipment including hydraulic tests (HT), non-destructive tests (NDT) such as radiographic testing (RT) or positive metal identification (PMI) if needed.

Scope of the application Esmil Membrane Systems for Wastewater Treatment:

The scope of application for Membrane Systems is extensive and diverse. Esmil Membrane Systems are widely employed for industrial effluent treatment in such sectors as anaerobic digestion, oil and gas, chemical processing, food and beverage, MDF fabrication. Additionally, these systems find applications in municipal wastewater treatment plants, landfills or remote locations where access to clean water is limited. We have successfully implemented projects for the following industries:

• Anaerobic Digestate Treatment Application for Biogas Plants
• Food Processing
• Oil & Gas
• Landfill Leachate Treatment
• Metal Processing
• Power plants
• MDF panel board fabrication
• Pulp & Paper
• Ultra clean water applications in electronics
• Municipal WWTP

Membrane Technologies in the Esmil Membrane Skids

At Esmil, we utilise a range of membrane technologies into our membrane skids. Our solutions include classic Reverse Osmosis (RO), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF) membranes as well as various specific membrane systems such as Vibratory Shear Enhanced Processing (VSEP), zwitterionic or special ultrafiltration membranes. RO membranes are applied when dissolved solids need to be separated or concentrated, while UF membranes can effectively remove almost all suspended solids and pathogens. NF membranes offer selective removal of specific ions, organic compounds and contaminants, while VSEP membranes employ vibratory shear to enhance separation efficiency thus giving more flexibility for the process design.

• Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology, utilized in our Esmil Membrane Systems for Wastewater Treatment, is a highly efficient filtration process that uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate water molecules from dissolved solids and contaminants. By applying high pressure, RO membranes effectively remove a wide range of impurities, including salts, heavy metals, bacteria, and organic compounds, resulting in purified water of excellent quality. With its ability to achieve high contaminant removal rates and produce reliable and consistent permeate, RO technology is an essential component in ensuring the success of effluent treatment processes.
• Ultrafiltration (UF) technology, used in Esmil Process Systems, is a versatile filtration method that effectively removes suspended solids and large dissolved molecules from wastewater. With the use of porous membranes, UF selectively allows water and dissolved solutes to pass through while retaining particles and macromolecules. This results in high water clarity free of pathogens, making UF an essential step in achieving high-quality treated water or preparation of the concentrate for a further product recovery stage. Additionally, UF operates at relatively low pressures and requires less energy compared to other filtration methods, making it a cost-effective and sustainable solution for effluent treatment applications.
• Nanofiltration (NF) technology, integrated into Esmil Process Systems for Wastewater and Industrial Effluents Treatment, is a specialized filtration process that offers selective removal of specific larger ions and other molecules (mainly organic compounds). With a pore size between that of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration, NF membranes effectively separate dissolved substances based on size and charge. This results in improved water quality by reducing hardness, color, and certain contaminants, while still allowing smaller ions to pass through. NF technology is particularly beneficial in applications where targeted removal of specific contaminants or adjustment of water chemistry is required for optimal water quality.
• Vibratory Shear Enhanced Processing (VSEP) membranes, utilized in our Esmil Membrane Systems for Wastewater Treatment, offer a unique approach to separation and filtration. VSEP technology employs vibratory shear forces to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the membrane separation process. By applying controlled vibrations, VSEP membranes can achieve higher separation rates, reduced fouling, and improved overall performance working with different membrane types (e.g. NF or RO). This innovative technology is particularly effective in treating challenging wastewater streams with high solids content, oil and grease, and difficult-to-separate substances, providing superior results in terms of separation efficiency and system reliability.
• Specific Membranes can be individually selected for challenging effluents when membrane surface charge or applying of strong cleaning are important. Esmil utilises specific membranes for effluents with higher viscosity or suspended solids content as well as for highly contaminated leachates to maintain high recovery rate and fouling resistance. These solutions include use of steel membranes, zwitterionic membranes or a range of modified UF membranes.

Features and advantages Esmil Membrane Systems for Treatment of Wastewater and Industrial Effluents

• Efficient removal of contaminants: Membrane systems excel at removing a wide range of contaminants, including suspended solids, pathogens, dissolved solids, organic compounds, and heavy metals, ensuring clean and purified water.
• Product concentration and recovery: Combination and adjusting of membrane processes allows to selectively concentrate and recover valuable products from wastewater for their reuse achieving sustainable zero discharge process implementation.
• High water recovery rates: Skilfully designed membrane systems enable high water recovery rates promoting sustainable water management practices with lower operating costs.
• Compact and modular design: Membrane systems are designed to be compact and modular, allowing for easy installation, scalability, and flexibility in adapting to varying treatment capacities and space constraints.
• Consistent water quality: Membrane systems deliver consistent water quality by providing reliable and predictable filtration performance, meeting stringent regulatory standards and ensuring the safety of treated water.
• Energy-efficient operation: Advanced membrane technologies, such as low-pressure reverse osmosis and energy recovering devices, contribute to energy efficiency, reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
• Versatility for diverse applications: Membrane systems are highly versatile and can be applied to a wide range of wastewater treatment applications, including industrial, municipal, clean and ultra clean water, addressing diverse treatment challenges.
• Sustainable solution: By promoting water and product reuse, reducing the need for chemical treatment, and minimizing the environmental impact of wastewater discharge, membrane systems contribute to a more sustainable and responsible approach to wastewater treatment.

Our systems are designed with robustness, efficiency, and durability in mind, ensuring long-term reliability and optimal performance. They offer exceptional contaminant removal rates, high permeate quality, and low energy consumption, resulting in cost-effective and sustainable wastewater treatment solutions.

Membrane Fouling Prevention and Optimization

Membranes are effectively used to treat the wastewater; however, it is very pivotal to select the correct pre-treatment to minimise the scaling / fouling tendency of the membrane, especially when dealing wastewater with aggressive fouling agents. Oil, cationic surfactants, silicon based antifoaming agents etc. may foul the membranes irreversibly.

We have extensive knowledge and experience on selecting the suitable pre-treatment and membrane type for variety of the wastewater. In the event no data is available, we are capable to develop the pre-treatment regime specific to the wastewater to prevent the fouling.
Our team specializes in optimizing the hydrodynamic process, resulting in significantly reduced membrane fouling. Typical optimization process involves selection of pre-treatment or effective cleaning regime or combination of both. We carefully choose the most effective cleaning and feed conditioning methods for membranes, ensuring their extended lifespan.

The selection of suitable membrane type also plays important role to provide cost-effective solution and prolong the membrane life, e.g. RO membrane in “spiral” construction which cannot tolerate solids in wastewater if used in “flat sheet“ type and coupled with the vibrating mechanism can handle waste water with 1000s of ppm of the solids in the feed nullifying the need of expensive pre-treatment.