NAMS 2002 Workshop - ICOM 2008

prospect for new energy sources as fuel cells, new fuels. Conventional Energetic
sector uses large scale membrane plants for water recycling. Oil, gas and
petrochemical industries use membrane processes for products fractionation and
purification. Membranes may contribute in huge energy savings thanking to new
solutions of work, pressure, and energy recovery systems.
Water scarcity on the Earth is less harmful thanks to the exploitation of new
water resources. Desalination of brackish waters, sea waters and mining waters
by means of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration is matured practice. A rational
use of water during industrial processes may be attained by means of multiple
use and appropriate management of water and wastewater streams. In these
cases the proper adjusting of water quality to particular needs of each consumer
(within one water network) may be attained by membrane application for the
removal of all types of contaminants, e.g.: suspended solids, colloids, soluble
components, ions organic components. The disposal or recycling of unavoidable
waste streams may be achieved by a variety of membrane separations, which
enable to fractionate the wastewaters onto valuable pure materials that can be
subsequently reused as a resources or valuable by-products. The water
recovered by such separation can be recycled to the production processes.
Membrane processes reduce chemicals consumption during the regeneration of
ion exchange resins during water softening in power stations, and other
pollutants. Membranes enable the avoidance of the overdosing of fertilizers and
all kinds of chemicals used in agriculture, such as herbicides, and pesticides, by
means of controlled release. Insecticides are replaced by pheromones that are
also delivered precisely by means of membranes.
The aim of the paper is to:
1. Deliver up-to-date information about successful applications of membrane
based clean technologies in variety of industrial sectors, which may be a pattern
and stimulus for further development.
2. Present methodology of membrane implementation in clean technologies by
comparison of different alternative solutions and factors for evaluating their
effectiveness
3. Anticipate new potential area of membrane applications in clean technologies
basing on actual achievements and trends in development of membrane
processes.