Industrial Water Treatment > Process water treatment
Process water treatment
In countless industries, process water is indispensable: as cooling water, rinse water, production water or as a raw material in the end product. The quality of your process water directly determines efficiency, the service life of installations and product quality. Process water is not a residual product – it is a critical raw material. Eco-Vision helps you manage that raw material optimally: safely, efficiently and sustainably.
What is process water treatment?
Process water treatment refers to the purification and conditioning of water used in industrial processes. The aim is to supply water of the right quality, tailored to the specific process in which it is used. For example, think of cooling water, rinse water or water for chemical reactions.
Why is process water treatment essential?
Protection of machinery and installations
Poorly treated water causes limescale, corrosion and biological fouling. This leads to damage to expensive equipment. Good water treatment significantly extends the service life of installations.
Increasing production efficiency
Stable and clean water means less downtime, less maintenance and therefore higher productivity.
Sustainability and environmental protection
Water reuse and reduced use of chemicals contribute to environmentally conscious business operations.
Types of process water
Cooling water
Used to cool machines or processes. Treatment prevents biofilm and limescale.
Boiler feedwater
Is heated to steam. Requires very pure water to avoid boiler problems.
Rinse water
For cleaning products or installations. Rinse water must be free of contamination.
Demi water
Demineralised water, free of salts. Demi water is crucial in the electronics and pharmaceutical sectors.
Steps in process water treatment
Pre-treatment
Pre-treatment is the first and perhaps most important step. This is where the raw water is prepared for further purification. Poor pre-treatment can lead to costly problems later in the process.
Filtration
Filtration removes coarse particles such as sand, sludge, rust or organic material. Depending on the source of the water (groundwater, surface water, mains water), an appropriate filtration technique is chosen:
Iron removal and softening
Groundwater often contains iron and manganese. These metals can cause rust, staining and deposits in pipes and equipment. Iron removal usually takes place through aeration (adding oxygen) followed by filtration.
Main treatment
This phase focuses on removing dissolved substances, micro-organisms, minerals and other contaminants that were not removed during pre-treatment. This is where the water is truly customised.
Reverse osmosis (RO)
A highly efficient technique in which water is forced under high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane. Dissolved salts, bacteria and even viruses are retained. RO systems are often used in: the pharmaceutical industry, the electronics industry, boiler water production.
Ion exchange
This technique replaces unwanted ions in the water with desired ions using special resins. There are various types: cation exchangers and anion exchangers.
Ultrafiltration
A membrane technology that removes micro-organisms, colloids and some large organic molecules. Ultrafiltration operates at lower pressure than RO and is ideal as pre-treatment for RO or as a stand-alone process.
Post-treatment
This step fine-tunes the water for specific requirements. Depending on the application, several methods can still be deployed here.
UV disinfection
A popular method in which the water flows past a UV lamp. UV light destroys the DNA of micro-organisms and prevents bacterial growth. Advantage: no chemical additives are needed, so there are no residues. Applicable in: the food industry, cooling water systems and demi water production.
Chemical conditioning
This is where chemicals are added to prevent corrosion, deposits or biological growth. Commonly used agents are:
- Antiscalants: they prevent limescale in membranes and pipes.
- Corrosion inhibitors: protect metal components.
- Biocides: kill bacteria and algae in cooling systems.
Temporary process water treatment needed?
Temporary process water treatment needed? Eco-Vision offers efficient and immediately deployable Rental Solutions for a wide range of situations: from planned maintenance work and temporary flow peaks to test set-ups and emergency interventions. Our mobile water installations, whether or not in containers, can be deployed quickly and are perfectly tailored to your specific needs. In this way you avoid downtime and retain control over your process water treatment. Hire a water treatment installation tailored to your project – fast, reliable and sustainable.
Contact
Eco-Vision
Looking for an efficient and sustainable solution? Our engineers and technical specialists are happy to think along with you. Get in touch for an analysis of your installation or process, and discover how Eco-Vision can contribute to optimisation, reuse and cost savings.
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