{"id":17091,"date":"2024-08-30T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/?p=17091"},"modified":"2025-04-02T14:30:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:00:02","slug":"overview-of-water-filtration-technologies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/overview-of-water-filtration-technologies\/","title":{"rendered":"Overview of Water Filtration Technologies"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Introduction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPotable Water, also known as Drinking Water is essential for human consumption. Potable water is obtained from natural sources from surface or ground. It needs to be treated for removal of micro-organisms, bacteria, viruses, toxic chemicals, fecal matter, particulate matter etc. There are several methods available to purify drinking water. Filtration is one of the first & basic methods to make water free of contaminants.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What are Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFiltration is defined as a\u00a0physical separation process<\/a>\u00a0that separates solid matter and fluid from a mixture using a filter medium that has a complex structure through which only the fluid can pass. Solid particles that cannot pass through the filter medium are described as oversize and the fluid that passes through is called the filtrate.(Fig 4).\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFig 1:\u00a0Depiction of\u00a0Filtration<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFiltration process removes physical, chemical or biological impurities from water making it potable.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Types of Filtration Techniques<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThere are various types of Filtration Processes used at domestic & industrial level (Fig 2).\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Fig 2: \u00a0Types of Filtration Processes used in Drinking Water Purification<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Physical Filtration<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In Physical Filtration, particulates & suspended solids are\u00a0 removed from the inlet water through use of a\u00a0physical barrier or medium<\/a>. This medium can vary in shape, size, pore size & is usually dependent on the size & physical properties of the contaminants in the water. It does not involve any chemical treatment to the inlet water.<\/p>

It consists of 4 stages \u2013<\/p>

  1. Pre-filtration (Screening),<\/li>
  2. Sedimentation,<\/li>
  3. Main Filtration (Sand\/cartridge\/Ceramic) &<\/li>
  4. Post Filtration (Membrane)<\/li><\/ol>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    It removes contaminants like leaves, twigs, large dense particles, bacteria, protozoa, particulates etc.<\/p>

    It is widely used in household & industrial water treatment systems as the first step of purification.<\/p>

    It enhances the chemical or biological filtration processes when water is pre-treated by this method.<\/p>

    It effectively removes suspended solids, sediments & particulate matter from water, does not remove essential minerals, does not rely on chemicals, does not introduce harmful chemicals, requires minimal energy input, produces minimal waste, is scalable, is durable, can last for long periods, can be effectively combined with other water treatment methods & is very simple to design, install & maintain.<\/p>

    However, it is ineffective in removing dissolved chemicals, salts, minerals, bacteria & virus from water, can clog with particulates & biological growth, can be breeding ground for bacteria, virus & other microorganisms, needs regular maintenance, cleaning, back-washing & media replacement, may get affected by inlet water quality thus offering a finite lifespan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Adsorption<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe word \u201cadsorption<\/a>\u201d was coined in 1881 by German physicist Heinrich Kayser (1853\u20131940). The IUPAC definition of Adsorption phenomenon is \u2013 An increase in the concentration of a dissolved substance at the\u00a0interface<\/a>\u00a0of a condensed and a liquid phase due to the operation of surface forces.\n\nIn simple words, Adsorption is the\u00a0adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules<\/a>\u00a0from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. The surface is called as \u2018adsorbent<\/a>\u2019 & the substance getting adhered to the surface is called as \u2018adsorbate<\/a>\u2019. The process of Adsorption creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent (Fig 3).\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    Fig 3: Adsorption process<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    The impurities (adsorbate) are adsorbed on the surface (adsorbent) using some materials like activated carbon, zeolites, or other porous substances.<\/p>

    It works on 3 principles \u2013<\/p>

    1. Surface Interaction<\/strong>: Contaminants in water come into contact with the adsorbent material.<\/li>
    2. Binding<\/strong>: Contaminants bind to the surface of the adsorbent through physical forces (like van der Waals forces) or chemical interactions.<\/li>
    3. Removal<\/strong>: Once bound to the adsorbent, the contaminants are effectively removed from the water, resulting in cleaner water.<\/li><\/ol>

      \u00a0<\/p>

      It removes contaminants like chlorine, organic compounds, odors, heavy metals, ammonium ions.<\/p>

      It is used in household filters, industrial water treatment & municipal water treatment systems.<\/p>

      It enhances the effectivity & the efficiency of the purifier systems, is easy to set up & maintain with low operational cost.<\/p>

      However, there is a high possibility that the adsorbents (surfaces) may get saturated with the adsorbates (contaminants) needing replacement or regeneration of the systems.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Ion Exchange<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      In 1850, Thomas and Way performed some of the first scientific research that indicated the existence of an\u00a0ion exchange process<\/a>.<\/p>

      The Oxford definition of Ion Exchange is \u2013 The exchange of ions of the same charge between an insoluble solid and a solution in contact with it, used in water-softening and other purification and separation processes (Fig 4).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      Fig 4:\u00a0Water softening & recharge process using Ion Exchange Technique<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      As a universal solvent, water contains some trace levels of gases, salts or minerals that come from the storage container or the atmosphere. When acidic rain water is neutralized by alkaline soil strata, natural salts are formed. When salts dissolve in water, they separate into charged particles called \u2018ions\u2019. A positively charged particle is a \u2018cation<\/a>\u2019 (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na1+) and a negative ion is an \u2018anion<\/a>\u2019 (Cl1-, NO31-, SO42-). The number of charges on an ion indicates the number of \u2018counter-ions\u2019 it will share in any reaction.<\/p>

      It requires use of resin beds which are functionalised porous structures or\u00a0gel polymers<\/a>. These beds are charged with specific anions or cations. When water is passed through these beds, the unwanted ions in water are attracted to the ions on the beds resulting in exchanges with ions on then resin. The resin saturates & needs regeneration.\u00a0Regeneration<\/a>\u00a0of the resin beds is done by using a strong salt solution (brine) which flushes out the unwanted ions & replenishes the beds with the required ions.<\/p>

      It effectively removes calcium ions, magnesium ions, heavy metals & other dissolved salts.<\/p>

      It is used in softening, demineralisation or deionisation of water, purification of chemicals, removal of heavy metals & separation of substances.<\/p>

      It removes specific ions effectively resulting in high purity water & the resin bed is regenerable & reusable.<\/p>

      However, it may result in extra maintenance & challenge in disposal of brine solutions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Membrane Filtration<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Membrane Technology<\/a>\u00a0can be dated back to 1900. In 1918, Nobel Prize Winner-Professor Richard Zsigmondy & Dr Bachmann devised a method to manufacture membrane filters with consistent & reproducible porosity. In 1927, Florenz Sartorius commercially produced membranes using Zsigmondy technique.<\/p>

      Membrane Filtration<\/a>\u00a0is defined as a process that uses a selective barrier, called a membrane, to separate biomolecules and particles based on their size, allowing smaller molecules to pass through while retaining larger ones.<\/p>

      It uses pressure mechanism in which the water is forced through a\u00a0semi-permeable membrane<\/a>. The contaminants get trapped on the surface of the membrane & the clear water passes through. The pressure & membrane pore size depend on the types of contaminants to be removed from water (Fig 5).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      Fig 5: \u00a0Mechanism of Membrane Filtration<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      It is used in water treatment, chemical and metal processing, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food industry, removal of environmental pollutants. It is useful to remove particles, dissolved salts, organic molecules, divalent ions, bacteria, virus, suspended solids, colloids etc.<\/p>

      Filter membranes<\/a>\u00a0are divided into four classes according to pore size:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Table 1: Different types of Membrane Filtration based on pore size & contaminants removed<\/p>

      Pore size<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      Process<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

      Contaminants removed<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      >\u00a00.1\u00a0\u03bcm<\/p><\/td>

      Microfiltration<\/a><\/p><\/td>

      larger bacteria, yeast, particles<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      100-2\u00a0nm<\/p><\/td>

      Ultrafiltration<\/a><\/p><\/td>

      bacteria, macromolecules, proteins, larger viruses<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      2-1\u00a0nm<\/p><\/td>

      Nanofiltration<\/a><\/p><\/td>

      viruses, 2- valent ions<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

      <\u00a01\u00a0nm<\/p><\/td>

      Reverse Osmosis<\/a><\/p><\/td>

      salts, small organic molecules<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      It is efficient in removing wide range of contaminants, has versatility of applications & scalability of use in domestic or industrial set ups.<\/p>

      However, it needs a specific set up which adds to the cost. It also requires regular maintenance & cleaning due to clogging & bio-fouling.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      Recent Advancements In Water Treatment Technologies<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Several\u00a0new-generation technologies<\/a>\u00a0have evolved to improve efficiency, enhance contaminant removal capabilities, reduce resource cost & support sustainability namely:<\/p>

      1. Advanced membranes made of graphene oxide or aquaporin,<\/li>
      2. Nano-enhanced filtration with nanomaterials like carbon, silver or titanium dioxide for microbe control or electrospun nanofibers<\/li>
      3. Hybrid Filtration Systems with Carbon-UV-UF-RO or photocatalytic filters<\/li>
      4. Smart Filters enabled with sensors & IoT<\/li>
      5. 3D printed or Nano-Enhanced Ceramic Filters<\/li>
      6. Self-cleaning & Anti-fouling filters with antimicrobial coatings<\/li>
      7. Solar-powered filters, Compact & Portable Filters, Biodegradable Filters, Recyclable Filters<\/li><\/ol>

        Ensuring safe drinking water requires a comprehensive use of multiple technologies developed so far. At NICHEM, we mindfully work in refining the purification media used for contaminant removal as well as water enrichment.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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        About NICHEM<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        Long-standing Specialty Chemicals player with ISO 9001:2015 certification and a history of providing specialty solutions for over 25 years. The company is headed by senior chemical industry specialists with the combined expertise of more than 100 years. With an emphasis on eco-friendly, non-toxic products, the company\u2019s primary strength is research, development, and customization. More information on NICHEM can be found at\u00a0https:\/\/nichem.solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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        References:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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        1. https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/filtration-chemistry<\/a><\/li>
        2. Article on \u201cWater treatment solution: Filtration\u201d, retrieved on 15 October 2013 from\u00a0http:\/\/www.lenntech.com\/chemistry\/filtration.htm<\/a><\/li>
        3. https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adsorption#cite_note-11<\/a><\/li>
        4. Guruge, Amila Ruwan (2021-02-17).\u00a0\u201cAbsorption Vs Adsorption\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0Chemical and Process Engineering<\/em>. Retrieved\u00a02023-11-26.).<\/li>
        5. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/figure\/Schematic-diagram-of-the-adsorption-process_fig3_343224678<\/a><\/li>
        6. https:\/\/sswm.info\/sswm-university-course\/module-6-disaster-situations-planning-and-preparedness\/further-resources-0\/ion-exchange<\/a><\/li>
        7. https:\/\/wqa.org\/resources\/ion-exchange\/<\/a><\/li>
        8. https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ion_exchange<\/a><\/li>
        9. https:\/\/sswm.info\/sswm-university-course\/module-6-disaster-situations-planning-and-preparedness\/further-resources-0\/ion-exchange<\/a><\/li>
        10. https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Maik-Jornitz\/publication\/11205193_Sterile_filtration_-_A_review_of_the_past_and_present_technologies\/links\/0f31752f8d94e9b635000000\/Sterile-filtration-A-review-of-the-past-and-present-technologies.pdf<\/a>.<\/li>
        11. https:\/\/watertp.tech\/technologies\/membrane-filtration\/<\/a><\/li>
        12. https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/chemistry\/membrane-filtration<\/a>.<\/li>
        13. https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Membrane_technology<\/a>.<\/li>
        14. https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/B9780323908931000076<\/a><\/li>
        15. https:\/\/www.water-technology.net\/features\/latest-water-purification-technologies-top-five\/<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Introduction Potable Water, also known as Drinking Water is essential for human consumption. Potable water is obtained from natural sources from surface or ground. It needs to be treated for removal of micro-organisms, bacteria, viruses, toxic chemicals, fecal matter, particulate matter etc. There are several methods available to purify drinking water. Filtration is one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"blog-type":[19],"product-category":[72],"class_list":["post-17091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","blog-type-technical-articles","product-category-water"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17091"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17102,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17091\/revisions\/17102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17091"},{"taxonomy":"blog-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-type?post=17091"},{"taxonomy":"product-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businessprojects.in\/nichem\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-category?post=17091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}