Membrane separation

processes tackle textile

wmte-water treatment
By k Bottino, G. Capannelli and G. Tocchi (Dipartimento di Chimica e and electro-flocculation) and separation
Chin&a Industriale, University of Genova, Geneva, Italy), and M. Marcucci and techniques (resin adsorption) on a laboratory
scale and in pilot-scale trials. Both technical and
G. Ciardelli (Tecnotessile Srl, Prato, Italy)
economic advantages, and drawbacks, have been
This article briefly considers several ways of treating different streams that are analysed.[rs 2l
generated by textile manufkturing processes, using techniques which are based
on membrane separation technology.
Membrane treatment
The membrane processes which are considered i treatment facilities (active-sludge oxidation) The characteristics of various membrane
here are microfiltration (MF) using ceramic : currently used to reduce pollution in waste- processes show that they have the potential to be
membranes; ultrafiltration (UF) using polymeric water, in order to meet legislative requirements used for treating textile waste-water so that it can
membranes of different material and molecular for the discharge. be reused.[s5] Several approaches have been pro-
weight cut-off (MWCO); j
nanofiltration (NF); posed which implement membrane technology
and reverse osmosis (RO). The performance of i for the treatment of textile waste-water from
membranes was evaluated in terms of retention I
Water managementin the 1 different production streams. Buckley[“] proposes
and permeate flux. Membrane material and j textile industry the use of MF to remove colloidal species from
operatmg conditions were defined in order to exhausted dye-baths and the subsequent rinses,
control membrane fouling. Wet processes in the textile industries require water and RO to concentrate exhausted dye-bath (after
Various processes applied to waste-water, of a very good quality in terms of its dye, detergent pretreatment), or the rinse effluent for dyeing
which was produced by a yarns dyeing factory and suspended solids content. Therefore, a recipes with a high electrolytes content.
without further treatment, gavei completely purification treatment which is used to recycle Treatment by RO of exhausted dye-baths,
different results. These varied from simple ’ water, must have a better performance than that which is eventually integrated with membrane
effluent clarification up to the total removal of j which is simply applied to discharged waste-water, distillation, is described in the literature.“]
salts. On obtaining the results, specific processes i according to the limits imposed by legislation. Other authors[8] propose the use of membrane
which were investigated could be implemented Tecnotessile Srl has recently been involved in technology for the treatment of rinsing effluent,
in addition to - or substituted for - in-house several oxidation (for example, ozone treatment while the technique (both NF and RO) is found

Membrane Technology No. 130

 to be unsuitable for the treatment of exhausted diameter of 4 mm and a length of 850 mm), and used as a sole treatment for textile waste-water
dye-baths, for which activated carbon is the with a surface area of 0.2 m*. recycling, but it can used each time when an
preferred form of purification. The UF membranes were small, flat-sheet efficient method of removing suspended matter
Pilot-scale membrane treatment (MF followed samples (with a surface area of 66 cm’), made is required, for example as a pretreatment
by NF or RO) has been also used in centralised from a polymeric material supported by a stage for another membrane process, or for
treatment plants, which are fed with mixed polypropylene, or a polyester non-woven. ozonation.
industrial and domestic waste-water. The resula The NF and RO polymeric membranes had a The UF performance is highly dependent
which have been obtained seem to allow for spiral-wound configuration (with a diameter of on the kind of materials which constitute
permeate reuse in textile factories.‘91 10 cm, and a length of 100 cm), with a surface the membrane. The removal of polluting
area of 7 m2. substances is never complete (COD at 21-77%,

Lacking a solution 25”C,

All of the
and
experiments
the feed
were
concentration
performed
was kept
at colour
Even
at 31-76%,
in the best
and surfactants
cases, the
at 32-94%).
quality of the
Recyclable effluents generated by dyeing factories constant by recirculating both permeate and effluent, especially concerning residual
are reported to be produced by RO, after retentate to the feed tank. The average operating coloration, does not match those require-
biological treatment and flocculation, and by NF, pressures were 1.5 bar for MF, 2 bar for UF, 18 ments set out for the effluent to be reused in
after physico-chemical treatment.[lOl However, bar for NF, and 40 bar for RO. The feed velocity delicate processes such as dyeing yarns in light
to our knowledge, a systematic approach to at the membrane’s surface was 5 m/s for both coloration.
investigating the most suitable solution for the MF and UF. A feed flow of 2 m3/h was used for Water which is treated by UF alone therefore
textile industry is lacking, in terms of the kind of the spiral-wound NF and RO elements. can be used only for ‘minor’ processes in the
effluent to treat, the type of membrane to use rextile industry, and when residual salinity is not
(concerning
and arrangement),
filtration
or
performances,
the combination
materials
of
Effluents and analytical a problem. The
resents the best compromise
ETNA 20A membrane
with regard to all of
rep-

freafmenfs to use. screening the requirements for retention, flow and fouling
In an attempt to fill this gap, this work performance.
concerns the screening of a number of The effluents which were treated were collecred Nanofiltrarion and RO produce a high quality
approaches based on membrane separation from a planr which dyes cones and hanks of permeate, with a very high removal of COD
technology for the treatment of several streams yarns that are made from different fibres. (NF ar 79-81% and RO at 89-91%), colour
generated in different textile processes and at Different dye formulations were used, and the (NF and RO at greater than 96%), and
different purificarion stages - and therefore waste-water which was treated was taken before surfactants (ar greater than 99.8%). Quire
with different polluting contents. Apart from and after biological treatment. surprisingly a satisfactory removal of salinity, also
considering MF, UF, NF and RO technologies, The main, relevant parameters of the effluents for monovalent ions, is achieved by means of NF
the performance of the respective membrane - COD, conductivity, chlorides, sulfates, colour (81-89%), even if it is lower than that obtained
types was tested in terms of retention and - were determined by standard techniques. with RO (greater than 99%). The degree of
permeate flux. Membrane materials and Non-ionic surfactants were measured using the removal is considered to be good enough for the
operating conditions were also defined for Tetrakis method. NF permeate to be reused in all wet textile
controlling membrane fouling. processes, including the most demanding with

Results and discussion regard to water quality.

Membrane and membrane The analytical results obtained after the which
Another interesting
were obtained
feature
is that the performance
of the results
of

experiments treatment of the process water from the plant, the membranes depends only slightly on the
and the water after biological treatment, are quality of the feed (before or after biological
The membranes which were used in the study reported in Table 2 and Table 3, respectively. treatment). This makes the process feasible for
are listed in Table 1. The MF ceramic membrane Microfiltration allows for a simple clarifi- textile factories which do not possess an in-house
is a multi-channel element (19 channels, with a cation of the effluent. Therefore, it cannot be active-sludge oxidation plant.

T&e X4@&y&& mkes sf feed @- weste-water b~f~e,~~~~~~~ mamentl, and Permeate fmm dHfa~%t ~~~~~$
aad ~~~~ jKQCQ%QS.

IIAembrme ax3, C&M t CQndwtivity; pH Cr-, sug*-* 5urfma*, Fiwting PQr@etiQ

designa%n &Pm (ai? nm) pmn Ppm PPm PP@@
Feed 313 0.150 3425 8.2 795 192 13.2
1 P-19-40 205 0.165 3450 8.7 820 165 12.8 102
Nadir Cl 00 245 0.114 3540 8.9 822 I%6 8.7 none 14%
Nadir C 36 202 0.103 3550 8.9 815 16% 6.8 slight 160
Nadir C’tO 198 0.099 3580 8.9 %f18 175 3.4 fwne 2s
Nadir PE5 20 90 0.048 3440 8.9 80% 134 3.9 high 50
Ma&r P 2QF 103 0.052 3f70 9.0 801 120 5.9 aide 102
Nadir PES 4W 126 0.05% 3390 8.7 805 10% 3.9 medium 17
ETPda 2OA 190 0.067 3320 8.9 787 132 8.3 slight 65
/ DL404oF 57 <0.005 378 7.3 85 6 <0.65 none 60
/ SC~4~ 27 <5.005 37 8.0 14 1.3 <ME nctne 32
-I__ “- --_

@ Membrane Technology No. 130

Conclusions ted Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse,
Milan, Italy, 847-854.
10. Tinelli
Nobiltech,
G. (1997) Proceedings
Busto Arsizio, Italy, 71-80.
of MIT

It has been shown that NF and RO can be used

2. Ciardelli, G. et al. (1999) Proceedings of
to purify textile effluents, which factories may
REWAS 99 TMS, San Sebastian, Spain, For more information, contact: A. Bottino,
wish to reuse. Nanofiltration does not reach the
2357-2366. G. Capannelli or G. Tocchi, Dipartimento di Chimica
retention behaviour offered by RO, nevertheless
3. NirmaI, J. and Pandya V. (1992) Sep. Sci. & e Chimica Industriale, University of Genova, Via
it constitutes an interesting process, because it
TechnoL 27 15. Dodecaneso 31,1-l 6146 Genova (GE), Italy. Tel: +39
offers higher productivity in less demanding
4. Hao, J. and Zhao, Q. (1994) Development of 010 353 8724, Fax: +39 010 353 6199.
operatmg conditions.
The results which have been obtained suggest membrane technology for wastewater treatment
Or contact: Tecnotessile Sri, Via del Gelso 13, l-591 00
in the textile industry in China, Desalination
the feasibility of a single-step membrane process Prato, Italy. Tel: +39 5 7463 4040, Fax: +39 5 7463
such as NF for specific applications, allowing for 98( 1) 353-360.
4045.
a dramatic reduction in the costs of the treatment. 5. Cheryan, M. (1998) Ultrafiltration and micro-
Currently proposed membrane treatment filtration handbook. Technomic, New York, USA.
This art& is based on a paper entitkd ‘Membrane
processes comprise two steps, for example UF plus 6. Buckley, C.A. (1992) Water Sri. 6 Technol. 25 processes for textile wastewater treatment aimed at
RO, and the associated costs which are involved 203. its reuse: which was presented at the 8th Work
have limited use of this technique. Further work is 7. Drioli, E. (1992) Water Sri. & Terhnol. 25 107. Fihrahn Congress, held in Brighton, UK during
in progress to verify this approach, using a long- 8. Wenzel, H. et al. (1996) Reclamation and Jury 2000. For more information on the
term, on-site experimental pilot campaign. reuse of process water from reactive dyeing of conference, or the proceedings, contact:
cotton, Desalination 106( l-3) 195. Confcence Department, Elrevier Science Ltd, The
References 9. Rozzi A. et al. (1999) Textile wastewater reuse Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford
1. Ciardelli, G. and Ranieri, N. (1998) Proceed- in northern Italy (Como), Water Sri. 6 Technol. OX5 IGB, UK Tel: +44 1865 843ti3, Fax +44
ings of 2nd International Conference on Advan- 39(5) 121-128. I865 843958.

Natural Resources, has presented the company technology to remove contaminants from the
with an award for three projects in the fluids to reduce pollution. It also reduces worker
Caterpillar earns ‘continuous improvement’ category of the exposure to contaminants and corporate liability

environment award 14th

Prevention
annual 2000 Governor’s
Awards. Since this award began in
Pollution for waste disposal.
The other two projects covered the
Caterpillar, the US-based manufacturer 1986, a Caterpillar facility has been named nine development of welding techniques, which
of construction and mining equipment, times. improve the quality of the fabricated structures
has again been recognised for technological During 1999 alone, 93% of waste at that are the backbone of all Caterpillar products,
breakthroughs that reduce hazardous Caterpillar’s Technical Services Division was while generating no hazardous waste, and a
waste and contribute to environmental reused, recycled or resold. One of the three pollution prevention programme which includes
preservation. projects, which is currently being developed in recycling, reuse or resale of 23 different waste
According to reports published in the US conjunction with the Waste Management & streams. Caterpillar says that the award signifies
press, the Waste Management & Research Research Center, prolongs the life of metal- its ongoing commitment to the environment
Center, a part of the Illinois Department of working fluids by using membrane filtration and to the prevention of pollution.

v
Membrane Technology No. 130