Spinfilters are disposableSartorius BBI Systems Inc, for-merly B. Braun Biotech Inc, a USsubsidiary of Sartorius AG, isoffering a new line of disposablespinfilters that have been devel-oped in cooperation with Germancompany Saxonia BioTec.

Called Spinfilter P, the units areconstructed from precision wovenopen-mesh polyethylene terephtha-late polyester fabric on a polycar-bonate body. This monofilamentfabric is characterized by preciselycontrolled pore sizes with tight tol-erances. The material provides con-sistent and even surface propertiesfor highly reproducible results, saysthe company.

Standard pore sizes are 10, 20and 40 µm, but other pore sizes areavailable by special request. Theproduct line is available for vesselswith a volume of 1–500 liters, andcan be used with a variety of stirrersthat have different shaft diametersby using the appropriate mountingadaptors.

Spinfilters are used primarily formedium perfusion in cell cultureprocesses. To be effective, they mustconsistently retain living cells in thebioreactor while allowing the medi-um and product to be pumpedthrough the membrane-based filter.

Contacts:Sartorius BBI Systems GmbH, PO Box1363, D-34203 Melsungen, Germany.Tel: +49 5661 71 3400, Fax: +49 566171 3702, Email: info@sartorius-bbi-systems.com, www.sartorius-bbi-systems.comSartorius BBI Systems Inc, 2800 BaglyosCircle, Bethlehem, PA 18020, USA. Tel:+1 610 866 4800, Fax: +1 610 866 4890.

MBR plant cleansup sewage waterAs part of a research program, theDutch research agency TNO hasbeen involved in the preparationand start-up of a membranebioreactor plant.

The study — undertaken in closecollaboration with the principalcontractor Waterschap Rijn enIjssel, the engineering firm DHVand the research institute Wetsus

(Center for Sustainable WaterTechnology) — has to minimizethe risks that are inherent to the start-up of such a plant.Furthermore, it has to provideknowledge for the future design ofother larger plants.

A sewage water purification plantlocated in the east of TheNetherlands is discharging its efflu-ent into a vulnerable small inlandwaterway that is part of an ecologi-cal junction. The design require-ments for the system to be used areso demanding, in terms of the quality of the water that is dis-charged, that conventional meth-ods are not able to meet requirements, says TNO. A solu-tion has been found by applyingMBR technology. This creates atreatment plant that is compactbecause there is no need for a largesettling tank to separate the bacteriaand water.

Since 2000, a number of small-scale pilot plants have been operat-ing in The Netherlands. This hasbeen done to gain experience of thistechnology. A full-scale plant, witha capacity of 755 m3 per hour, hasbeen established to serve as ademonstration project.

Contact:TNO, Communications Department,PO Box 155, NL-2600 AD Delft, TheNetherlands. Tel: +31 15 269 2000,Fax: +31 15 269 2111, Email:info@tpd.tno.nl, www.tpd.tno.nl

Chinese powerplant usesZenon’s membranesAn immersed ultrafiltration (UF)water treatment system fromCanadian-based Zenon Environ-mental is to be used at theYuhuan Power Plant in ZhejiangProvince, China.

The Canadian company’sZeeWeed membranes will pre-treatsea water before it is desalinatedwith reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The ZeeWeed technol-ogy extends the service life andimproves the performance of ROmembranes, particularly in applica-tions that involve sea water desali-nation, says the company.

Once the plant is running theUF system will produce 76 800 m3

(just over 20 million gallons) perday of high quality feed-water,which will be channelled to adesalination process for the produc-tion of 34 560 m3 (around 9 mil-lion gallons) per day of low salinewater.

This site will serve as a key refer-ence site for Zenon, whose mem-brane technology is already produc-ing high quality effluent inindustrial and municipal water andwastewater treatment plants aroundthe world.

The power plant will house foursets of 1000 MW coal-fired steamturbine generators, which will bebuilt in two phases. The first phaseof construction is scheduled forcompletion in 2007, while the second is set to be commissioned in 2009.

Contact:Zenon Environmental Inc, 3239 DundasStreet West, Oakville, Ontario L6J 4Z3,Canada. Tel: +1 905 465 3030, Fax: +1905 465 3050, www.zenon.com

Potential ofhydrogen economy studiedResearch and Markets Ltd ofDublin, Ireland has published anew report, entitled Towards aHydrogen Economy. As the titlesuggests, this concise study looksat the movement towards usinghydrogen in the future as a keyenergy carrier.

The first edition of this reportprovides an insight into the currentstate of hydrogen, and addresses theinfrastructure requirements neededto make the hydrogen economy areality. The report offers a detailedlook at the move to a hydrogeneconomy by:

• identifying the current status ofhydrogen production and use;

• discussing the key business dri-vers of the move towards hydro-gen;

• discussing the barriers to imple-mentation that stand in the wayof a transition;

• providing a critical look atwhether or not the hydrogeneconomy can succeed;

NEWS

3Membrane Technology June 2005

I n B r i e fMembrane separates carbondioxide and hydrogenMembrane Technology andResearch Inc (MTR) of MenloPark, California has developed andtested a reverse-selective membranefor carbon dioxide/hydrogen sepa-ration. Conventional hydrogenmembranes permeate the smallermolecule – hydrogen – but MTR’smembrane retains the hydrogen atpressure and permeates unwantedcarbon dioxide to the low-pressureside. According to the company,this breakthrough has the potentialto treat numerous process streams,including those from hydrocarbonreformers.

Research aims to removearsenic from drinking waterFour new research projects havebeen initiated to address the newand more stringent US federalstandards for acceptable levels ofarsenic in public drinking water,which will come into effect in theUS during 2005. The new stan-dards will change the acceptablelevel of arsenic in public groundwa-ter supplies from 50 µg/l to 10 µg/l.The research, funded by theMidwest Technology AssistanceCenter for Small Public WaterSystems, will focus on removingarsenic from drinking water in linewith the revised guidelines.

Website allows customers toorder parts on-lineUS-based FilmTec Corporation, asubsidiary of The Dow ChemicalCo, has launched a new website(www.dow.com/ l iqu id seps /contact/parts.htm) from which sys-tem parts, used with FilmTec ele-ments, can be purchased. Throughthe website, customers can pur-chase system parts for FilmTecreverse osmosis and nanofiltrationmembranes, as well as iLEC inter-locking end-caps, including brineseals, adaptors, couplers and tools.These parts can be ordered, paidfor, and shipped to anywhere inNorth America. FilmTec enteredinto a commercial alliance withSpeed Fulfillment & Call Center toprovide the on-line service, whichoffers customers several advantagesfor purchasing small parts, includ-ing 24-hour ordering, fast UPSdelivery and the use of all majorcredit cards.