Successful start of pilot plant for ceramic membrane filtration
Since June the filtration demo site is operating in stable continuous mode at our pulp & paper demo case in Germany, run by Felix Schoeller and the Fraunhofer Institute, treating wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent water using advanced ceramic microfiltration membranes.
Although the first test campaign is still ongoing, the system has already produced valuable insights into both long-term operational stability and the technical performance of ceramic membrane filtration under realistic process conditions.
Over the past several weeks, the project team has conducted extensive testing of the plant and its operating parameters. Various operating regimes were evaluated, including different circulation flow rates, backwashing strategies, and temperature conditions. At the same time, laboratory testing routines were successfully established and verified in collaboration with Weißenborn and IKTS, while comprehensive data acquisition and monitoring processes were implemented.
As anticipated, the current microfiltration stage has not yet achieved the final process water quality target. However, the upcoming ultrafiltration trials are expected to provide a significant improvement in water quality performance. In addition, further treatment steps are planned as part of the overall treatment train, supporting the project’s broader water reuse objectives.
The results achieved so far confirm that the installed demonstrator is highly suitable for the experimental program defined within the project. The successful start-up and stable operation provide a strong foundation for the next phases of testing and technology optimization.
We look forward to sharing further results as the project progresses and additional process stages are brought into operation.
