Edgecross membrane contactor technology delivers exceptional performance across multiple industries, providing superior solutions for gas removal including deoxygenation, decarbonation, and deammoniation. Our technology significantly enhances efficiency, reduces operational costs, and extends equipment lifespan in diverse applications.
Membrane contactors are widely used in the micro-electronics industry, particularly for controlling dissolved gases in ultrapure water (UPW) production and other wet bench processes. Contactors are installed in the make-up and polishing loops of UPW system. The system can achieves dissolved oxygen levels as low as 1ppb, which is critical for high-yield semiconductor manufacturing.
Client: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC)
Installation: 8 Edgecross membrane contactors in their UPW system. The contactors were placed in the make-up loops to ensure continuous removal of dissolved gases.
Performance: The system achieved dissolved oxygen levels below 5 ppb, which is significantly lower than the saturated level of 9.14 ppm. This high level of gas removal is critical for advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Result: Enhanced product yield and reduced contamination in semiconductor fabrication processes.
Membrane contactors are increasingly being used in the power generation industry to address various challenges related to water treatment, corrosion control, and operational efficiency. Dissolved gases, particularly oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), can cause significant corrosion and pitting in power plant components such as boilers, pipes, and heat exchangers.
This can lead to increased maintenance costs and reduced equipment lifespan. Therefore removal of those dissolved gas is mandated by every country's safety laws. Membrane Contactors are used to remove dissolved gases from boiler feedwater. These contactors can reduce dissolved O₂ levels to below 1 ppb and CO₂ levels to below 1 ppm.
A 350MW power plant in China installed an Edgecross membrane contactor system in 2021 for feeding water. As a total condensing unit, the amount of feeding water is very small as average of 20t/h and max of 35t/h.
Performance: The 35t/h deaerator reduced the dissolved O₂ in water up to 1ppb. Therefore, the dissolved O₂ level in condensing water lowered as less than 3ppb.
Energy Savings: As to the thermal deaerator, there is no need to remove O₂ in water and the vent valve shut down completely, which saved 14956t of steam per year.
Economic Impact: The replacement of a 35t/h membrane deaerator to a 1068t/h thermal deaerator is very economical.
Membrane deaerator in operation at a 350MW power plant
Membrane contactors are increasingly being used in the chemical industry for boiler feeding water treatment to remove dissolved gases such as oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), which can cause corrosion and reduce the efficiency of boilers.
A petrochemical plant in north China installed a 120t/h Edgecross Membrane Contactor system in 2022 to remove dissolved CO₂ in water treatment for boiler feeding water.
System Design: Flow rate of 120 t/hour, inlet CO₂ concentration of 10 ppm, combo mode of vacuum and sweeping with a vacuum pressure of -0.5 bar and sweep gas flow rate of 20 m³/hour.
Performance: CO₂ removal efficiency of over 95%, reducing the outlet CO₂ concentration to less than 0.5 ppm.
Benefits: Significantly reduced fouling and clogging in the second phase RO. Chemical-free operation eliminated the need for chemical treatment. Small footprint made it suitable for space-constrained workshop.
A petrochemical plant in south China installed a 400t/h Edgecross Membrane deaerator in 2021.
System Components: Deaeration unit, heat exchange unit and a smart thermal oxygen center.
Benefits: Effectively reduced dissolved oxygen content in water, ensuring it meets industrial standard requirements. Reduced boiler corrosion and extended equipment life. Significantly reduced energy consumption compared to traditional methods.
Additional Features: Heat exchange unit recovers and utilizes process waste heat, further improving energy efficiency. Intelligent optimization control system automatically adjusts operating parameters based on real-time data.
Boiler feeding water quality is critical in the heating supply industry, as dissolved gases can lead to corrosion and reduced heat transfer efficiency. Membrane contactors are increasingly used to improve feeding water quality by removing these gases.
In heating supply systems, circulation water often contains dissolved gases that can lead to corrosion and scaling, reducing the efficiency of heat exchangers and other components. Membrane contactors are used to remove these gases and improve water quality.
A thermal supply project in northwest China adopted membrane contactors for deaeration. These contactors are designed to remove dissolved oxygen from water efficiently and are installed in the feeding water system of the heating plant.
System Integration: The membrane contactors were integrated into the existing feeding water system, ensuring seamless operation and compatibility with other components.
Control System: An automated control system maintains optimal vacuum pressure and water flow, ensuring consistent deaeration performance.
Performance: Significant reduction in dissolved oxygen levels, with the outlet water consistently meeting the required dissolved oxygen concentration of ≤100 ppb.
Benefits: High deaeration efficiency, energy savings, and low maintenance make membrane contactors an attractive option for improving water quality and system performance in heating applications.
Contact our team of experts to discuss your specific requirements and discover how our solutions can optimize your processes.
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