Description
CERAMIC MEMBRANE ATECH-GERMANY
Manufacturers: ATECH Inovation Gmbh - Germany
Our membrane design ensures efficiency
We develop, manufacture and install ceramic membranes that are suited for a wide variety of applications. Ceramic membranes are primarily used when polymer membranes reach their limits.
Due to their excellent material properties ceramic membranes ensure process stability and high availability levels. In addition, they do only require a little pre-treatment and a minimum of maintenance. Composite membranes are characterized by high water permeability within the channels. For reasons of fluidity and in regard of hygienic aspects all membrane channels in membranes made by us have a round configuration, without exception.
Compared with products from competitors, particularly polymer membranes, our ceramic membranes stand out due to their high chemical, thermal and mechanical strength. This ensures a long service life.
Depending on the requirements of each particular application, we offer a wide range of different membrane geometries: We will supply ceramic membranes with pore diameters that vary according to the type of material to be filtered or separated and the desired filtrate concentration.
The standard range includes single-channel and multi-channel membranes with various pore diameters suitable for ultra-filtration (starting at 5 kD) and micro-filtration (up to 1.2 µm). They are available in various lengths, up to the currently possible maximum length of 1,50 m, in order to provide as many replacement options as possible.
Backpulsing
Compared with products from competitors, particularly polymer membranes, ceramic membranes made by atech stand out due to their high chemical, thermal and mechanical strength, ensuring a long service life. Consequently, membranes are primarily used when polymer membranes reach their limits. Due to their excellent material properties ceramic membranes ensure process stability, high availability levels, low pre-treatment requirements and minimum technical care. Compared with ceramic membranes made by other manufacturers the quality of atech membranes is significantly higher because they are produced without using any ceramic binders or other additives.
When choosing ceramic membranes made by atech you will benefit from:
- High pressure resistance (bursting strength)
- Resistance to concentrated caustic solutions and acids
- Possibility of backpulsing
- very high abrasion resistance
- trouble-free cleaning
- temperature stability
- high flux
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Cross-flow filtration
During cross-flow filtration by means of ceramic membranes the medium to be filtered flows through the channels of the membrane support. All particles whose size exceeds the pore diameter of the membrane are retained. The particles/molecules build up in the concentrate. The filtrate permeates through the pores and is treated in subsequent process stages as required by the particular procedure.
Award-winning quality awareness in sensitive areas
We are proud to be one of only four companies in the world that are authorized to apply the 3-A Symbol to their equipment.
3-A (Sanitary Standards, Inc.) is an independent organization dedicated to advancing equipment design for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. This organization represents the interests of stakeholders who are committed to promoting food safety and the public health.
This authorization is another proof of the top quality of our modules and shows that it does not cause any trouble to us to supply customers from these industries with our products.
We guarantee the top quality of our products
Manufacturing our ceramic membranes at such a high quality level without a properly thought-out quality assurance process is simply unimaginable. We use random sampling to determine if all quality standards have been met. If quality deviations are found we at once check the entire lot in order to exclude any defects.
Each membrane we manufacture has its unique serial number. Using this number we are able to track exactly who was involved in the manufacturing process of that particular membrane and where we purchased the material used. The unique serial number shows at a glance in which lot a particular membrane was manufactured who supplied the material.
We have many decades of experience with top quality materials, and our process technology has been thoroughly worked out over the years. As a result, our products are always state-of-the-art and make sure that the required quality of filtration will be achieved.
Our pressure vessels are additionally subjected to leakage tests to ensure that they are absolutely tight. Each product that leaves our manufacturing facilities has been tested. This is what makes up our thorough quality management system.
ATECH Membrane® Technology overcomes convenional limitations
There is a technical limitation to the use of monolith supports as described above. The long and tortuous path through which the permeate must flow to get to the outside of the monolith can lead to a large pressure drop for permeate flow within the porous membrane support. The pressure drop reduces the trans-membrane pressure for the interior passageways. This limitation generally restricts the diameter of monoliths than can be used, at least for microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), to approximately 54 mm.
Mechanical modifications to the monoliths have effectively overcome this limitation. The modifications form permeate "conduits" within the monolith that conduct permeate from interior feed passageways to the permeate collection zone external to the monolith.
Applications:
Ceramic membranes are increasingly being used in a broad range of industries such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical, dairy, food and beverage, as well as chemical and petrochemical, microelectronics, metal finishing, and power generation. Each industry presents specific needs and opportunities.
The membrane modules can withstand elevated temperatures, extremes of pH (0 to 14), and high operating pressures up to 10 bar (145 psi) without concern for membrane compaction, delamination or swelling. This makes these membranes suitable for many applications where polymeric and other inorganic membranes cannot be used.
Additionally, ceramic membranes are ideal for in-place chemical cleaning at high temperatures, while using caustic, chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and strong inorganic acids, and/or by using steam sterilization.
Industrial applications
Clarification of natural fruit juices such as apple, cranberry and grape is one of the most successful and widely practiced industrial applications of ceramic membranes.
In the filtrations of sugar cane juice ceramic membranes can be used in several different stages in the raw and refine sugar production. the need to purchase, use and dispose of filter aids is then eliminated.
Ceramic membranes are used for fermentation broth clarification at numerous installations worldwide, successfully competing with other technologies such as polymeric membranes, vacuum filtration and centrifugation.
Finally, in many chemical process application there is the need to treat not only the waste streams, but also to recover and reuse chemicals. Ceramic membranes can be applied for this purpose, i.e. filtration of chemical solvents, dye and pigment wastewater from dye processing and colouring plants and highly variable wastewater containing detergents, polymers and organic solvents.
Initially, our ceramic membranes were used in waste water technology systems. Meanwhile, they are either successfully applied or offer a possible solution in all industries involving filtration of media. The benefits of our products are much sought after, particularly in the food, environmental and chemical industries.
Find here more information about the industries where we have been successfully active for many years.
a. Environmental protection / waste water technology
In waste water treatment systems our membranes are used with great success for the filtration of cleaning chemicals (surface treatment), for cell separation after biological processes, or for the recycling of paints and lacquers.
In the field of environmental protection / waste water technology we filter the following substances for cleaning, concentrating or separating purposes:
> Cleaning solvents
> Cooling lubricants / drilling emulsions
> Cell separation after heavy duty biological processes
> Pickling baths, etc.
b. Biotechnology / chemical industry
In chemical and biotechnological applications, we use our ceramic membranes successfully for protein concentration, cell separation, recovery of catalysts, filtration of dyestuffs, and more.
Solutions for biotechnology and for the chemical industry include filtration, cleaning, separation or recovery of:
> Bacteria, yeasts, ... (fermenter solutions)
> Proteins
> Dyestuffs
> Catalyst liquids
c. Food industry
In the food and beverages industry, ceramic membranes made by atech innovations gmbh are used for filtering or clarifying beverages such as beer, wine and fruit juices, and for fractionating milk proteins
Our product range includes the following standard membranes:
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| Type | Design (mm) | Amount of channels |
Length (mm) |
Filter surface |
Illustration |
| 1/6 |  |
1 | 1000 | 0.019 |  |
| 1200 | 0.023 | ||||
| 1/16 |  |
1 | 1000 | 0.05 |  |
| 1200 | 0.06 | ||||
| 7/6 |  |
7 | 1000 | 0.13 |  |
| 1200 | 0.16 | ||||
| 19/3.3 |  |
19 | 1000 | 0.2 |  |
| 1200 | 0.24 | ||||
| 37/2 |  |
37 | 1000 | 0.23 |  |
| 1200 | 0.28 | ||||
| 19/4 |  |
19 | 1000 | 0.24 |  |
| 1200 | 0.29 | ||||
| 19/6 |  |
19 | 1200 | 0.43 |  |
| 1500 | 0.54 | ||||
| 37/3.8 |  |
37 | 1200 | 0.53 |  |
| 1500 | 0.67 | ||||
| 61/2.5 |  |
61 | 1200 | 0.58 |  |
| 1500 | 0.72 | ||||
| 19/8 |  |
19 | 1200 | 0.57 |  |
| 1500 | 0.72 | ||||
| 85/3.3 |  |
85 | 1200 | 1.06 |  |
| 1500 | 1,32 | ||||
| 221/2 |  |
211 | 1200 | 1.59 |  |
| 1500 | 1.99 | ||||