Challenge

Water, water everywhere, but high levels of suspended matter were adversely affecting production and wreaking havoc with existing downstream deionizers.  Also referred to as total suspended solids or TSS, suspended matter consists of tiny insoluble particles in water that include grit, silt, clay, ferric iron and other precipitates.  For this production facility located in the Great Lakes region of the U.S., the quantity of water was not the problem.  The quality, however, created a number of challenges for plant personnel:

• High pressure drops causing premature regenerations
• Reduced effectiveness and throughput of deionized water
• Interference with the overall operation of the deionizer
• Fouled resin beds and shortened lifespan
• Unplanned downtimes occurring with increased frequency

Plant personnel needed a quick, reliable solution that would maximize production and protect the existing deionizers and resin beds.

Solution

Through two multimedia filters, the suspended matter in the feed water to the deionizers has been successfully treated to ensure maximum effluent quality:

• 10 gpm/sq ft. flow rate
• 90% turbidity removal
• 40 hour run time between backwashing

Our multimedia filters are ideal for all industries where the incoming water contains suspended solids.  The filters are simply installed upstream of the deionizers. 

Through the filtration process, the incoming water flows downward through the filter beds and encounters layers of filtration media with decreasing porosity.  Successively smaller particles are trapped in each layer, thus providing true depth filtration and ensuring the water then sent to the existing deionizers is of an appropriate quality.

Results

Suspended matter in water is a common problem faced by a multitude of plants throughout the world.  By using multimedia filters, the suspended solids are removed so they cannot interfere with the necessary contact between the water and the resin beads.  The process ensures:

• Maximum performance
• Consistent quality and quantity of water and run times
• Minimal unscheduled downtimes
• Protection of downstream equipment
• Protection of the resin from premature fouling and ensuring long life