Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration (UF) is a type of membrane filtration in which hydrostatic pressure forces a liquid against a semipermeable membrane. A semipermeable membrane is a thin layer of material capable of separating substances when a driving force is applied across the membrane. This process is increasingly used for the removal of bacteria and other microorganisms, particulate material, and natural organic material, which can impart color, tastes, and odors to the water.

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Ultrafiltration uses the hollow fibers of the membrane material and the feed water flows on either inside the shell, or in the lumen of the fibers. Suspended solids and solutes of high molecular weight are retained, while water and low molecular weight solutes pass through the membrane.

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Ultrafiltration is not fundamentally different from reverse osmosis, microfiltration or nanofiltration, except in terms of the size of the molecules it retains. When strategically combined with other purification technologies in a complete water system, UF is ideal for the removal of colloids, proteins, bacteria, pyrogens, proteins, and macromolecules larger than the membrane pore size from water. The primary removal mechanism is size exclusion, though surface chemistry of the particles or the membrane may affect the purification efficiency. UF can be used as pretreatment for reverse osmosis systems or as a final filtration stage for deionized water.

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Ultrafiltration is used in:

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• Laboratory grade water purification

• Wastewater treatment

• Drinking water treatment

• Paint Recovery in the automotive industry

• Desalting and solvent-exchange of proteins

• Dialysis and other blood treatment

About the cartridges:

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• The UF Cartridges are designed to fit into either a standard (slimline) 10 inch or 20 inch housing.

• The UF Cartridges filters the water down to 0.2 Micron removing fine particles, and bacteria. Please see the osmosis chart for a better idea of what is removed at 0.2 micron.

• The UF cartridges exterior is just a hard plastic shell, which has a Ultra Filtration Hollow Fibre Membrane on the inside.

• The Hollow fibre membrane, has dozens of hollow fibres and each fibre is lined with small 0.2 Micron holes. The water passes from the outside of the hollow fibre to the inside of the fibre, leaving all the particle larger than 0.2 Micron on the outside of the fibre.

• The water then travels through the hollow fibre membrane and out the small holes at the top of UF cartridge.

The Complete Home Ultra Filtration Solution is a sure way of providing your entire house with high quality water for drinking and household purposes. It makes use of very fine filtration technology that effectively removes impurities from the water. This filtration process removes 99.9% of all bacteria, viruses, paint pigments, chemicals, pollen, sand and other impurities.

This option comes with the housings, Filters, and Brackets (Optional) loose. The fittings and piping between the housings are not provided, and so will have to be sourced separately.

Benefits:

• All the water supplied to your house is filtered

• 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses in the water are removed

• System uses a physical barrier to remove bacteria, rather than a chemical one

• Removes chemicals such as chlorine

• Can be used to make even the dirtiest water drinkable

• Filtrated water tastes and smells great

• Preserve the natural minerals in the water

• Low running cost

• No electricity required

Keep in mind:

• The Ultra Filtration Membrane does not remove any minerals from the source water, and so it will not change the "base" taste of the source water. So if your water has a brackish/salty taste, it will still have this taste after the UF system.

• The fine membrane of the Ultra filtration unit removes large amounts of particles from the water. As a result, it needs to be flushed once a week to prevent it from becoming clogged with dirt and bacteria. 

• Should the bacteria not be flushed out regularly, it may start to grow on the membrane and ‘biofouling’ may occur. 

• Back Washing can be done manually with a simple ball valve or with an automatic solenoid valve.

• The Ultra Filtration Membrane will flush more effectively if the unit is installed in a vertical upright position.

These impurities must be flushed out at least once a week to prevent a blockage from forming.