Membrane filtration in the paper industry

Membrane filtration can be used in the pulp and paper industry to recover material as well as prevent waste by-products from entering the water course. In addition, depending on the application, membrane systems can be used to remove impurities or to concentrate and purify, either as an aid to recovering valuable raw material or to improve product yields. With increasingly strict legislation on effluent discharge, and the need to remove pollutants from the waste stream, effective filtration is becoming more important to a number of process industries. Pulp and paper manufacturing is no exception. The high cost of conventional effluent treatment plants, either on site or at a municipal water treatment works, makes membrane filtration a viable approach for many paper mills, where large volumes of water are used and where recovery of water or by products is possible. Indeed, the world's largest tubular ultrafiltration membrane effluent treatment plant, designed and manufactured by PCI Membrane Systems, is installed at a Swedish pulp mill.