Purification-materials recovery separation processes: highly efficient innovative technological innovations [Tecnologie innovative a basso spreco applicate nei processi di depurazione-recupero]

Low waste technologies, especially membrane separation technologies, allow the reduction of waste products through the selective recovery of by products. The fundamental properties of membrane technologies such as permeability, selectivity, chemical composition of the polymers, membrane structure and module configuration are presented. Some representative applications of membrane technologies, waste water treatment, water potabilization, ultrapure water production in the medicine and biotechnology fields, are reported. For each practical process, special attention is given to the concept of depuration - recovery. Some practical experiments concerning biogas up-grading, olive water treatment, heavy metal recovery of metal industry wastes (chromate), and diary wastes treatment (whey) are discussed. Membrane separation processes require low energy consumption (isothermal separation) and allow maximum environmental protection (no pollutants production). (A)