Application of mebrane separation processes to the Sri Lankan industry

Membranes and membrane based separation techniques have developed rapidly over the last two decades with a considerable technical and commercial impact. The technology is now widely used for a range of applications including water treatment, wastewater treatment, separations in the Chemical and Process industries, food and biotechnological industries and in the medical field. Micro Filtration, Ultra Filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Electro Dialysis and Dialysis are the commonly used processes. Nano Filtration, Pervaporation, Osmotic Distillation and Membrane Distillation are now becoming popular with the development of novel membranes, which withstand a wide range of operating conditions. The Membrane Separation technique is attractive due to many reasons, such as suitability of the processes for heat sensitive materials, high product quality and possibilities of recovery and recycle of valuable materials. The survey shows very few applications of Membrane Processes in Sri Lankan industries. Normal Filtration and Ion Exchange are the widely used methods for water treatment. However, the application of a technique such as Reverse Osmosis or Ultra Filtration for water treatment in medical and pharmaceutical field, in drinking water production from high salinity level water and in food and beverage industries may largely help in improving the product quality. Wastewater is commonly treated using biological treatment and chemical treatment in combination with sedimentation. Approximately, 51% of the industries have the possibility of using Membrane Separation techniques not only to treat wastewater, but also to recover or recycle valuable materials, energy and water. Pulp and paper, Textile and Diary industries are the major uses of Membrane technology for wastewater treatment. Further, the novel separation techniques such as Pervaporation and Osmotic distillation can be experimented for the manufacture of range of new products. Application of Membrane Separation processes in Sri Lankan industry will be important in anticipation of future demands for high standards and minimal environmental impact