USA-based Koch Membrane Systems Inc has installed its PURONR HF ultrafiltration (UF) modules at a major steel mill in Inner Mongolia, China. The system is claimed to be the first large application of the product in the metals industry, with a capacity of 57,600 cubic meters per day (15.2M gallons per day).

PURON HF ultrafiltration modules are used for high solids applications and for applications such as reverse osmosis (RO) pretreatment, surface water treatment and tertiary wastewater treatment. According to KMS, they can provide water recoveries of greater than 95% and produce consistent, high-quality water that meets or exceeds most regulatory requirements.

At the steel mill in Inner Mongolia, the treated water will serve as mill service water and will meet permeate turbidity requirements of less than 0.2 NTU, and a silt
density index (SDI) of less than 3, claims KMS.

The submerged reinforced modules feature supported membrane fibres, which, it is claimed, virtually eliminate breakage risks, resulting in a high throughput, compact wastewater solution that can be implemented for a low lifecycle cost, says KMS.