Ultra Low Pressure RO Membrane Supplier

Ultra Low Pressure RO Membrane is a high-efficiency separation membrane element specifically engineered for low-salinity water sources. Its operating pressure is approximately two-thirds that of conventional low-pressure brackish water membranes, achieving a salt rejection rate of up to 99.5% at a test pressure of 150 psi (approximately 1.03 MPa). Manufactured from aromatic polyamide composite membrane materials, this element is suitable for deep desalination treatment of surface water, groundwater, tap water, and municipal water sources with TDS below 2000 ppm. It is widely applied in industrial pure water preparation, food and beverage production, boiler feed water, municipal water supply, and EDI system pretreatment. As a key participant in this field, Jiangsu Bangtec Huachuang Sci-tech Co., Ltd. focuses on the industrialization development of high-end nanofiltration membrane products, with a product portfolio covering high, medium, and low-pressure reverse osmosis membranes, anti-fouling reverse osmosis membranes, and special separation nanofiltration membranes.

Core Performance and Operating Parameters

The core advantage of the Ultra Low Pressure RO Membrane lies in achieving comparable or even higher salt rejection performance than conventional low-pressure membranes at significantly reduced energy consumption. Under standard test conditions (1500 mg/L NaCl solution, temperature 25 degrees Celsius, pH 7.5-8.0, recovery rate 15%), the typical industrial model ULP-8040 achieves a stabilized salt rejection rate of 99.5%, with a minimum salt rejection rate no lower than 99.3%, a permeate flow rate of approximately 2200 GPD (8.3 cubic meters per day), and an effective membrane area of 85 square feet (7.9 square meters).

Compared with conventional low-pressure membranes, the operating pressure of ultra low pressure membranes is substantially reduced. While conventional low-pressure membranes typically require a standard test pressure of 225 psi (approximately 1.55 MPa), ultra low pressure membranes operate at only 150 psi (approximately 1.03 MPa), representing a reduction of approximately 33%. This characteristic directly lowers the capital investment costs for high-pressure pumps, piping, pressure vessels, and other ancillary equipment, while significantly reducing long-term electricity consumption.

Typical Model Specifications Comparison

Industrial Ultra Low Pressure RO Membrane elements are primarily available in two standard sizes: 4040 and 8040, suitable for small-to-medium and large-scale water treatment systems respectively. The 4040 model has a diameter of 4 inches and length of 40 inches, while the 8040 model has a diameter of 8 inches and length of 40 inches. Both sizes are compatible with standard pressure vessels and offer excellent interchangeability.

Note: Permeate flow data represents average values. The actual permeate flow of individual membrane elements may deviate by ±15%. Test conditions: feed water temperature 25 degrees Celsius, test pressure 150 psi, NaCl concentration 500-2000 ppm, pH 7.5.

Primary Application Fields

Ultra Low Pressure RO Membranes, with their energy-efficient and high-performance characteristics, have gained widespread adoption across multiple industrial sectors. The following table details the main application scenarios:

In industries such as photovoltaics, lithium batteries, steel, electric power, chemicals, printing and dyeing, and coal chemicals, the Ultra Low Pressure RO Membrane serves as a core component of water treatment systems, effectively removing 95% to 99% of dissolved salts, colloids, organics, bacteria, and pyrogens. Jiangsu Bangtec Huachuang Sci-tech Co., Ltd. has developed new products whose performance has reached internationally leading levels, providing innovative membrane separation products and integrated solutions for these sectors.

Pretreatment Requirements and System Maintenance

To ensure long-term stable operation of Ultra Low Pressure RO Membranes, feed water quality must meet strict pretreatment standards. Key pretreatment indicators include: Silt Density Index (SDI) ≤ 5.0, turbidity < 1 NTU, and free chlorine concentration < 0.1 mg/L. Since modern thin-film composite membranes are highly sensitive to oxidizers, feed water must not contain free chlorine or other strong oxidizing substances, as these will cause irreversible damage to the membrane pore structure, manifested as abnormally increased permeate flow and significantly decreased salt rejection.

Standard pretreatment processes typically include: multimedia filtration for suspended solids and colloid removal, activated carbon adsorption for chlorine and organic removal, and cartridge filtration (5-micron filters) for residual particle capture. For high-hardness water sources, softening equipment or antiscalant dosing is required to prevent inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate from scaling on the membrane surface. Chemical cleaning should be performed when normalized permeate flow drops by 10%, normalized salt passage increases by 5% to 10%, or normalized differential pressure increases by 10% to 15%. Acid cleaning (pH 1-2) is used for inorganic scale removal, while alkaline cleaning (pH 12) addresses organic fouling and biofilms.

Energy Saving Benefit Analysis

The economic value of Ultra Low Pressure RO Membranes is primarily reflected in significant energy savings. Taking an industrial pure water station with a daily treatment capacity of 1000 cubic meters as an example, replacing conventional low-pressure membranes with ultra low pressure membranes reduces the operating pressure from 225 psi to 150 psi, cutting high-pressure pump power demand by approximately 30% to 40%. At an industrial electricity rate of 0.8 RMB per kWh, annual operation of 8000 hours can save approximately 150,000 to 250,000 RMB in electricity costs. For large municipal systems operating 24 hours continuously, the cumulative energy savings over 3 to 5 years can substantially reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Furthermore, lower operating pressure delivers additional equipment protection benefits: reduced membrane compaction effects, slower differential pressure growth, and decreased wear on system piping and valves, thereby extending the service life of both membrane elements and ancillary equipment. Under normal operation and proper maintenance conditions, the typical service life of industrial Ultra Low Pressure RO Membranes ranges from 3 to 5 years.

Frequently Asked Questions