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Industrial
water

Optimize your industrial wastewater management. Get closer to zero liquid discharge and reduce CAPEX and OPEX with efficient effluent treatment.
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A more sustainable approach to industrial wastewater management

Industrial wastewater management faces pressing problems such as water scarcity, pollution and insufficient water reuse. Around the world governments, industries and consumers are pushing for greener solutions that limit the use of water in industrial applications and processes. From textiles to pharmaceuticals and heavy industry, our Aquaporin Inside® membranes are simple and cost-efficient way to streamline your water recovery processes and step up your industrial water reuse.

Whatever your industrial wastewater challenge, our technology and expertise can help you improve water recovery rates, simplify your effluent treatment – and lower your CAPEX (capital expenses) and OPEX (operating expenses).

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Achieve zero liquid discharge wastewater treatment with forward osmosis

For many industrial wastewater treatment processes, the main objective is to achieve Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) or Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). Forward osmosis using Aquaporin Inside® Forward Osmosis membranes are a key part of making this possible.

Extremely thin and selective, Aquaporin Inside® Forward Osmosis membranes enable good water flux even at low pressure. They also reject more compounds than any other membrane on the market – enabling you to recover water of high quality. As a result, you can reduce operational costs by maintaining high production capacity while running at lower pressures. And the lowest reverse salt flux on the market benefits the overall process costs and extends the lifetime of the membranes used in your industrial wastewater management process.
  • High selectivity enables treatment of even the most difficult process water and effluent
  • Lower fouling reduces production stops and costs related to cleaning
  • Minimal reverse flux ensures a clean concentrate, without additional treatment
  • Compact design reduces plant footprint
  • Lack of heat or hydraulic pressure results results in lower energy consumption 
  • Less use of chemicals results in a greener process

What is forward osmosis? The most frequently asked questions

Forward Osmosis is increasingly being used in a range of water treatment applications, from food and beverage production to heavy industry. Here are answers to a few common questions about the process.
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difference between forward osmosis and reverse osmosis

What is the difference between forward osmosis and reverse osmosis?

If you are a water professional or system integrator you are probably familiar with reverse osmosis (RO). But how does RO relate to FO when it comes to industrial wastewater treatment? While both RO and FO are membrane-based water treatment technologies there are some significant differences between the two.

Both RO and FO are used to diffuse water from one side of a membrane to the other, filtering out dissolved solids, ions and other undesirable compounds from the effluent in the process. The main difference between the two technologies is how water is driven through the membrane.
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Advantages of forward osmosis for industrial wastewater

Reduce your water use
Very high rejection rates significantly increase permeate water quality - for a more sustainable reuse of water and lower disposal costs. 
Treat challenging waste streams
High efficiency enables you to handle higher levels of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and TDS (total dissolved solids) than other technologies on the market. 
Enjoy low installation costs
Easily retrofit our membranes on existing effluent treatment processes to streamline your industrial wastewater treatment with lower CAPEX compared to other technologies.
Minimize maintenance and downtime
Shutting down for maintenance due to fouling and scaling is a constant challenge for industrial wastewater management. Reduced fouling means less cleaning and fewer interruptions in your industrial wastewater treatment.
Step up your capacity with smaller footprint
With land prices at a premium, having to devote more space for your wastewater treatment process can be a costly proposition. High flux rates enable you to process more industrial wastewater, without increasing your physical footprint.
Turn your waste into profit
Capture precious materials in your wastewater - such as nutrients, metals or Glauber's salt (sodium sulfate decahydrate) from textile production - for recycling or reuse.
Meet industry requirements - and your own environmental targets
Stringent regulation on the use and reuse of water in industries is a growing trend. With our forward osmosis membranes in your industrial effluent treatment, you can minimize the steps needed to fulfill internal and external requirements.

Recycle more water with forward osmosis

When recycling industrial wastewater, your ability to remove contaminants from the permeate is essential for the quality of the recycled water. And Forward Osmosis (FO) is an excellent method for separating water from dissolved solutes. By using natural osmotic pressure as the driving force, a forward osmosis system transports water through a filtration membrane while retaining all other compounds in the feed stream. An osmotic pressure gradient across the semipermeable membrane delivers the driving force to facilitate water transport from the feed solution (low osmotic pressure) to the draw solution (high osmotic pressure).
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Is forward osmosis right for your wastewater treatment process?
Try out our assessment tool

To give you an indication of whether FO is the right choice for your (or your client's) process, we have designed this simple online assessment. You answer a few questions and learn whether FO is right for your treatment process.
Of course, there are many variables when it comes to industrial wastewater management, so it will only serve as a guideline.

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Industrial wastewater recycling and reuse

When water is cheap and abundant, the incentive to minimize waste and maximize recycling and reuse is low. But in many areas, water is becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable resource. Across the globe, many companies are taking greater efforts to recycle and reuse their industrial wastewater, motivated by factors such as water scarcity, social license to operate, local regulation and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This shift from linear to circular water consumption which will only grow in the coming years. Learn how you can join the water revolution and increase the reuse and recycling of your industrial wastewater.
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Understanding industrial effluent treatment

A strong understanding of the effluent treatment process is central for effective industrial wastewater management. In any industry that uses massive quantities of water as part of their processes, there is a need to process the resulting effluent to remove contaminants before discharge and disposal. Effective effluent treatment is needed to comply with environmental regulation but can also be used to recover clean water and valuable materials for reuse.
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Industrial

Aquaporin selected by Fashion for Good to increase water sustainability in South Asia’s textile industry

From a pool of more than 120 innovative companies affiliated with the fashion industry, Aquaporin has been selected for Fashion for Good’s South Asia Innovation Programme. The programme connects the most promising innovators whose technologies have the potential to transform the textile industry. Through the programme, Fashion for Good will facilitate that their partners work […]
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Industrial

The way is paved for an Indian-Danish partnership on wastewater treatment

As water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource in India the demand for wastewater treatment solutions across different sectors increases. India's Ambassador, Ajit Gupte, recently visited Aquaporin to discuss how to establish Danish wastewater treatment solutions there. With Aquaporin's ongoing efforts in India, the visit from Ambassador Ajit Gupte was a boost in terms of […]
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Industrial

Important considerations for implementing ZLD for industrial wastewater treatment

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) wastewater treatment can improve water recycling, reclaim valuable resources and eliminate contaminated wastewater discharge. But before implementing a ZLD system, you must consider several important factors. The rapid depletion of water resources in water stressed countries like India has forced many industries to reevaluate their approach to water management. In addition, […]
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Read More about Industrial water

Increase industrial water sustainability and value wastewater for its potential

> Download our brochure to learn how forward osmosis can pave the way to increased industrial water sustainability.
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Get the guide to solve india's
industrial wastewater challenges
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> Check out our Aquaporin Inside® Forward Osmosis membranes
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Industrial water use

While agriculture still leads global water consumption at around 70%, industrial water use accounts for almost half the total water consumption in industrialized nations.
Industrial water use

Textiles

Today, the textile industry accounts for around 20% of all global industrial water contamination. Together, we can bring that number down.

Our Aquaporin Inside® Forward Osmosis membranes enable process intensification to minimize the steps needed to achieve treatment and reuse goals in the textile industry. We’re working with customers to develop more sustainable methods of dealing with textile wastewater streams – giving them a tangible way to improve their sustainability performance and connect with today’s sustainability-focused consumers.
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Industrial water use

Automotive

The global automotive industry is a major consumer of water. An estimated 148.000 liters of water is used to produce a single car. This covers the water used for processes like surface treatment and coating, painting, washing, cooling, air-conditioning systems and boilers. Metal finishing and especially painting accounts for the most significant water consumption, including the regular cleaning of the processing equipment.

In addition to the high water consumption, automotive production generates heavily polluted wastewater which requires extensive wastewater treatment in order to meet regulatory and environmental standards.
Industrial water use

Semiconductor

With the relentless global demand for electronic devices and computer chips, the production of semiconductors continues to increase. This requires vast quantities of water which has to be exceptionally pure to avoid contamination. A typical semiconductor manufacturing facility uses 7.500 to 15.000 m3 of ultra-pure water per day.

Industrial wastewater from semiconductor manufacturing contains hazardous materials such as heavy metals and toxic solvents. The risk posed by these complex effluent streams has prompted several semiconductor manufacturers to take steps to reduce their water consumption, increase water reuse and improve wastewater treatment before discharge.
Industrial water use

Oil & gas

Water is critical for oil and gas production. And since much of the global oil and gas production takes place in water-stressed regions like the Middle East and North Africa, energy companies are extremely motivated to become more efficient in their water consumption and reuse of water for their industrial processes. Given the severe impact oil and gas production can have on local water resources, energy companies must also take great care to ensure that their wastewater treatment, storage and disposal does not pose a risk to local communities and the environment.
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