ULTRAFILTRATION FOR OILY INDUSTRIAL WATER

Mike Pressley, Separation Dynamics, Fountain Inn, SC*

611 South Woods Dr., Fountain Inn, SC 29644
Tel 864-884-7730
mpresley@separationdynamics.com

Ivan A. Cooper, PE, WPC, Inc. Consulting Engineers, Charlotte, NC

ABSTRACT
Oily industrial wastewater discharges are a prime candidate for water minimization and chemical recycle
and reuse. An ultrafiltration membrane system can continuously remove emulsified metalworking fluids
and suspended solids from parts washing solutions, enabling reuse of water and detergents. System
design can be structured to minimize waste hauling by removing oil and suspended solids from these
spent metalworking fluids. Overall results can be a substantial reduction in wastewater volume, recycling
of valuable cleaning chemicals and more sustainable manufacturing.

A commercial, regenerated cellulose-based ultrafiltration membrane system has been developed to

successfully to remove emulsified oil from water without requiring regular membrane cleaning.
Manufactured membrane wall structure, material hydrophilicity and wide operating parameters (pH and
temperature) of this cellulose membrane eliminate operation and maintenance problems traditionally
associated with conventional membranes for these applications using a relatively inexpensive membrane
module replacement concept.

This regenerated cellulose membrane is the core constituent of ultrafiltration systems designed to clean
and potentially recycle emulsified aqueous fluids such as aqueous parts washers, floor scrubber and mop
water, and similar industrial wastewaters.. This membrane technology allows for more practical use of
ultrafiltration in oily metalworking plant applications, where traditional ultrafiltration would typically require
intensive maintenance and membrane cleaning regimens.

Several case studies are presented that

identify cost saving approaches for water use reduction and process fluid reuse with non-porous
regenerated cellulose ultrafiltration membrane systems.

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

INTRODUCTION
Growing environmental concerns, an emphasis on quality and drive towards manufacturing efficiency
have made aqueous parts washing a recent subject of focus in the metal manufacturing industry. There
has also been a shift to aqueous parts washing by manufacturers replacing chlorinated solvent washers
and vapor degreasers. This shift has been mostly in response to EPA restrictions associated with the
manufacture and usage of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). With this increased activity in aqueous parts
washing, manufacturers must now address new environmental and economic concerns.

Over the past several years, advances have been made in developing an industrial wastewater reclaim
system for a separation process for oily industrial wastewater which is extremely effective and economical
in recycling of aqueous parts washing solutions. This process is based on a cellulose membrane
technology that has major technical and commercial advantages over other approaches that have been
tried for this application.

Manufactured membrane wall structure, material hydrophilicity and wide

operating parameters (pH and temperature) of this regenerated cellulose membrane eliminate operation
and maintenance problems traditionally associated with conventional membranes.

This regenerated cellulose membrane is the core constituent of ultrafiltration systems designed to
continuously clean fluid in aqueous parts washers, oily wastewaters, floor cleanup water, and similar
industrial wastewaters. Results include dramatically improved parts washing performance, re-use of
valuable cleaning chemicals, minimized waste, and reduced labor. The unique cellulose membrane
allows these benefits to be realized without the operational difficulties traditionally associated with
conventional membranes. These systems are currently in operation in over 100 production facilities.

PARTS WASHER APPLICATION

Aqueous parts washing fluids generally consist of water and a cleaning additive (detergent) maintained at
concentrations between 2 and 10 percent. As parts are washed, cleaning fluid becomes increasingly
contaminated with metalworking lubricants, mill oils and other shop soils. This results in reduced cleaning
efficiency and requires operators to periodically discharge this fluid.

In this cyclical process, washer

performance is continually changing, which either has a detrimental affect on cleaning efficiency, requires
overcompensation by usage of elevated cleaner concentration or shortened cleaning fluid work-life.
Discharging of spent wash fluid generates an often sizeable wastewater stream.

This results in

manufacturing downtime and additional labor and chemical handling costs.

In a parts washing bath, oil and dirt particles are surrounded by surfactants in aqueous cleaners which
enables soils to be lifted from part surfaces. This cleaning mechanism results in a stable oil-in-water
emulsion. Traditional oil removal methods such as coalescers, oil skimmers, and centrifuges are mostly
ineffective at removing emulsified oil. Distillers, flocculation chemicals, and encapsulation equipment can

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

help to minimize waste but can be expensive to operate and eliminate the ability to reclaim cleaning
chemistry.

One method for processing oil-in-water emulsions has been membrane filtration, specifically ultra- and
microfiltration membranes. These membranes are typically porous membranes having flow through
pores with pore sizes ranging from 0.01 10 m. (See Figure 1.) While conventional ultrafiltration and
microfiltration membranes have seen some success recycling these fluids, loss of membrane flow rate,
also known as fouling, has been a significant impediment to reliable operation. In fact, an EPA Project
Summary(1) which evaluates ultrafiltration to recover degreasing baths discloses, One of the greatest
limitations of ultrafiltration membranes is their tendency to foul. The report goes on to say Fouling is
mainly due to the accumulation of particles on the membrane surface and/or within the pores of the
membrane itself. While this report concluded that ultrafiltration was successful in this recycling
application, clearly membrane fouling and maintaining permeate flow is a major concern.

Figure 1 - Filtration Spectrum

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

DIFFUSION SEPARATION TECHNOLOGY

Regenerated cellulose is an extremely hydrophilic polymer which is a highly desirable property for oily
water filtration applications.(2) Separation Dynamics Inc. (Fountain Inn, SC) manufactures and markets a
ultrafiltration system called EXTRAN, which is based on a patented hollow fiber regenerated cellulose
membrane. This cellulosic diffusion membrane was derived from technology originally used by Johnson
& Johnson (J & J) for hemodialysis, a process that mechanically filters blood when kidneys no longer
function normally.

Made from virgin cotton linters, this membrane has properties and structure different from conventional
membranes. The manufacturing process employed produces a diffusion membrane which has a nonporous structure. (See Figure 2.) Due to the hydrophilic nature of cellulose, water and water soluble
components are highly soluble and will diffuse into and through the membrane wall.

Hydrocarbons

(including emulsified metalworking lubricants) are rejected at the membrane surface. Cellulose is
practically impervious to most non-polar organic all solvents, temperature resistant to 210F, and has an
operating range of pH 4-12.

These properties are highly desirable for aqueous parts washing

applications which are typically operated with alkaline cleaners at 120-160F.

These cellulose hollow fibers are bundled into a membrane module which contains thousands of fibers,
bundled together and encapsulated in a CPVC jacket. This module configuration is operated in crossflow mode. (See Figure 3.) Contaminated fluid is directed through the hollow fiber bores, also called the
lumens, and flows parallel to the (inside) membrane surface. Water and water-soluble cleaning chemistry
diffuse through the membrane wall. This clean fluid is the membrane Permeate stream. Rejected oils
and suspended solids are concentrated in the stream exiting the fiber lumens. This fluid stream is known
as the Retenate stream.

Development of alternative membrane technology using non-porous regenerated cellulose instead of a

pore sieving mechanism has been shown to significantly reduce membrane fouling and cleaning. This is
a key difference from conventional ultra- and microfiltration membranes that achieve separations due to
size exclusion based on a specific porous structure engineered into the membrane surface. Typically,
these pores become plugged as hydrocarbons adhere to the hydrophobic membrane surface causing a
loss of performance. As a result, these membranes require periodic chemical cleaning and backflushing
processes to maintain a suitable product flow rate.

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

Figure 2. Scanning Electron Micrograph of Regenerated Cellulose Membrane

Figure 3 - Cross Flow Filtration Concept

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

AUTOMATED MEMBRANE RECYCLING SYSTEM

Regenerated cellulose membrane modules are the core constituent of a system designed to clean and
recycle emulsified aqueous fluid in order to extend cleaning solution life. These membrane systems
separate free oil, emulsified oil and suspended particulate from wash fluid. A complete recycling system
is self-contained on a small skid containing a Feed Pump, Coalescing Tank, Process Pump, Prefilter(s),
membrane module(s) and automation control panel. (A typical process flow diagram is shown in Figure
4a). Systems are available with a footprint of 2.5 x 4 or 4 x 5. These systems are designed to achieve
maximum benefit by operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Filtration systems can be configured to operate either continuously (Figure 4a) or in batch mode (Figure
4b). In either case, a Feed Pump automatically draws contaminated fluid to the Coalescing Tank. A
Process Pump continuously circulates fluid from Coalescing Tank, through a prefilter (typically a bag
filter), through membrane module configured in a cross-flow filtration mode before returning back to
Coalescing Tank. The Permeate stream, consisting of clean water and water-soluble cleaning chemistry,
is plumbed to either original source tank (continuous operation) or a separate clean fluid storage tank
(batch operation).

Non-porous regenerated cellulose membranes are particularly effective in physically breaking emulsions
without chemical assistance. Rejected oil contamination and suspended particulates are directed back to
the Coalescing Tank.

This tank is a stainless steel, V-bottom, heated vessel designed to enhance

concentration and removal of oil contamination separated from process solution. The Coalescing Tank
can be configured to automatically remove both light (specific gravity < 1) AND/OR heavy (specific gravity
> 1) soils. It is important to note that incorporation of a membrane filtration system does not eliminate
waste material. It does enable concentration and removal of oil contamination to significantly reduce
waste stream volume. In some cases, oil contamination can be concentrated to a point that it has resale
value as a waste oil product.

These systems continuously remove oils and particulate from process fluid, returning filtered solution for
re-use. Unlike conventional membrane filtration, a non-porous regenerated cellulose membrane system
is simple to operate and requires minimal maintenance. Chemical cleaning and backflushing are not
required to maintain permeate flow. Life cycle costs have been lower compared with traditional units
requiring maintenance cleaning, and there is often a significant cost savings with a membrane cartridge
replacement compared to a traditional membrane that requires cleaning costs associated with operational
labor, chemical, and backflushing waste disposal.

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

Figure 4a. Diffusion Membrane System Continuous Operation

PERMEATE

PARTS WASHER
WATER
CLEANING CHEMISTRY
OIL CONTAMINATION

CONTAMINATED FLUID

Process
Filter

Module

MEMBRANE FILTRATION SYSTEM

Process Pump
Feed Pump

Figure 4b. Diffusion Membrane System Batch Operation

PERMEATE

High Level
Float

PERMEATE
TANK

FEED
TANK

Low Level
Float

CONTAMINATED
FLUID

EXTRANTM
SYSTEM
CLEAN WASH
FLUID

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

CASE HISTORIES

Case History I
A major golf club manufacturer was regularly dumping water from a drawing process, floor scrubbers,
mop water and waste coolant. Before membrane filtration equipment installation, over 2,000 gallons of
wastewater were hauled each week at considerable cost. A goal was established to treat wastewater to
enable discharged to a POTW to eliminate hauling. A plan was implemented to remove floating oil from
wastewater tanks and an ultrafiltration unit was added to remove emulsified oil and other suspended
contaminants. Filtered water is now discharged to sewer and the facility sells concentrated oil (which
contains less than 1% water) to Safety-Kleen. Equipment installation eliminated 100,000 gal/year of
waste hauling with a resulting savings of $50,000/year and a six month payback period.

Case History 2
A heat-treating operation at a major automotive bearing manufacturer in Georgia has a production
process that includes high temperature heat-treating, an oil quench, aqueous cleaning and then a
secondary heating step (tempering). The aqueous cleaning step is required to remove oil residue after
quenching prior to the final tempering step. This manufacturer had two aqueous cleaning baths which
were dumped and recharged weekly since insufficiently clean parts were susceptible to staining and
residual surface oil entering the tempering furnace would generate excessive smoke in the plant. The
manufacturer established a goal to eliminate part staining and smoke, while reducing overall operating
costs. An ultrafiltration system was installed to continuously remove emulsified oil from wash water (both
cleaning baths) to maintain constant cleaning effectiveness. Washing solution is now recycled instead of
being a weekly wastewater stream.

This allowed cleaning chemistry to be reused, reduced water

consumption, significantly reduced wastewater volume and eliminated smoke generation. Waste hauling
diminished by 86%, cleaner chemicals usage diminished by 87%, and costs were reduced by 72%.

Case History 3
Schaefer Screw Products, Garden City, Ml, is a solid brass parts manufacturer. They operate a screw
machine products facility that manufactures a wide variety of brass pneumatic fittings, hydraulic fittings
and valve components for the automotive, consumer appliance and other markets. During the
manufacturing process, parts become coated with cutting oil and machine tramp oil. The final step prior to
quality assurance and packaging is passage through a Bowden parts washer which incorporates a 300
gallon wash tank and a 300 gallon rinse tank, followed by a high temperature dryer.

Schaefer Screw formerly relied on an organic solvent-based system to clean parts before delivery.
Concerns about health hazards and environmental liability resulted in a change to an aqueous cleaning
system. When the tank contained fresh wash solution, the alkaline cleaner effectively removed soils from

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

the parts. But as more parts were cleaned, bath soil loading began to hinder the cleaning process and
multiple cleanings were required. In this cleaning process, the wash tank received a net of approximately
0.75 gallons of oil per day. Without filtration, wash bath oil levels increased continuously to a maximum of
about 15% over a three month cycle.

As a result, many parts were rejected by quality assurance and re-washed - sometimes as many as three
washes were needed to pass inspection. To overcome the multiple washings from a soil-laden parts
cleaning operation, Schaefer Screw began to dispose of the wash and rinse baths more frequently. More
frequent process cleaning resulted in increased cost from escalated consumption of both cleaner and
deionized water.

High oil levels in the wash tank also caused the 300 gallon rinse tank to become unacceptably
contaminated. To overcome this, the rinse tank was dumped on a four day cycle. Due to heavy metals
and oil & grease content, the Detroit Sewer & Water District was pressuring Schaefer not to discharge this
wastewater and was threatening fines for non-compliance. Schaefer was required to dispose of this
wastewater through licensed industrial wastewater disposal facilities, which further increased costs.
Every three days, the company was paying for 600 gallons of dirty wash bath fluid to be hauled.

An evaluation was performed comparing various technologies. Table 1 shows concepts evaluated and
positive and negative features of comparative technologies.

A non-porous regenerated cellulose

membrane system was installed and operated 24 hours/day. This system filtered wash stage fluid at a
rate of 0.5 gpm. Figure 4 shows wash bath oil contamination loading as a function of operating time
before and after ultrafiltration system installation. With filtration, washer oil concentration stabilized at less
than 0.5%. This is more than 15 times cleaner than the average concentration of Schaefers original
washer cycle. Improvements in final product quality were quickly observed. Instead of fluctuating over
time, washing performance was consistent and quality inspection results were similar to a freshly charged
wash bath.

Bath life of both wash and rinse tanks has been extended to over a year. Make-up water is periodically
added to both tanks to compensate for evaporation. Economic benefits are realized by a 96% reduction
in wastewater generation, a 71% reduction in detergent consumption and additional savings in
labor/downtime from rewashing and changing the bath. Annual comparisons are listed in Table 2.
Because of the ultrafiltration system, Schaefer capped their sewer connection and cemented over floor
drains. Discharge of washing fluid was no longer required.

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

Table 1 - Comparative Technologies for Parts Washer Recycle

Technology
Coalescing

Pro

Con

-Requires minimal capital investment

-Sensitivity to soil imbalances introduced

-Can

into the system

extend

bath

life

when

using

compatible cleaning chemistry

-Unable to split chemical emulsions

-Breaks up mechanical emulsions formed

-Will not extend bath life indefinitely

in the system

-Cleaning

-Reduces generated waste

-Does not recycle bath chemistry

agent

chemistry

becomes

unbalanced

Evaporation

-Expensive to operate
-Energy intensive

Porous membrane

-Extends bath life

-Selectively

(Nonceramic)

-Reduces wash bath changeovers

cleaning agent chemistry

depletes

components

in

-Reduces cleaning agent costs

-Requires harsh chemical cleaning (acid

-Reduces generated wastes

washing)
-Flux rates do not stay constant
-May have trouble with wash baths above
140 to 160 degrees F
-Difficulty with silicate and phosphate
based cleaners
-Membrane life reduced with pH under
3.5 or over 10.5
-May be adversely affected by solvents

Porous Membrane

-Extends bath life

-Selectively

(Ceramic)

-Reduces wash bath changeovers

cleaning agent chemistry

depletes

components

in

-Reduces cleaning agent costs

-Requires harsh chemical cleaning (acid

-Reduces generated wastes

washing)

-Impervious to most solvents

-Flux rates do not stay constant

-Can work in baths up to 180 degrees F

-May have trouble with wash baths above

140 to 160 degrees F
-Difficulty with silicate and phosphate
based cleaners
-Membrane life reduced with pH under
3.5 or over 10.5

Cellulosic Diffusion Membrane

-Extends bath life

-Reduced pure water flux rate compared

-Reduces wash bath changeovers

to porous membrane

-Reduces cleaning agent costs

-Selectively

-Reduces generated wastes

cleaning agent chemistry

deplete

components

in

-Impervious to most solvents

-Can work in baths up to 180 degrees F
-Flux rates stay constant
-Compatible range of pH is 1.5 to 12.5

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

Contaminant Concentration (% v/v)

Figure 4. Wash Bath Oil Contamination for Schaefer Screw

16.0
14.0

Untreated Wash Bath

Extran Treated Wash Tank (0.5 gpm)

12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
0

14

28

42

56

70

84

98

112

126

Operating Time (days)

Table 2 Oily Waste Recycle Comparison for Schaefer Screw Products

Before Recycling

Diffusion Membrane

Waste Hauled

20,400 gals

800 gals

Detergent Usage

288 gals

84 gals

Maximum Oil Concentration

15%

1.5%

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

Case History 4
A leading Michigan producer of aluminum anti-lock brake components uses a 300 gallon Mann Gill
aqueous parts washer to remove metalworking lubricants and soils deposited during manufacturing.
These brake components are sent to a thermal deburring process after washing. Parts are then shipped
to be plated prior to delivery to the customer, a major automobile assembly plant.

Increased rejections by final product quality inspectors led to a search for the source of the problems. A
team of engineers from the manufacturer, electroplating company, and customer determined that ash
from thermal deburring was causing quality rejections. This ash resulted from insufficient cleaning once
oil contamination surpassed a critical level. Wash solution required low oil contamination levels, which
could be accomplished by either frequent dumping and replenishing, or by removing emulsified oil by
filtration.

In order to maintain product quality, the wash bath was dumped twice per week while manufacturing
engineers sought an effective filtration solution. A non-porous regenerated cellulose membrane pilot scale
system was evaluated to filter the wash fluid. After 1.5 months of testing and onsite development, the
complete system began continuous 24 hours per day operation. The system employed two membrane
modules that filtered wash water at approximately 0.5 gpm. Permeate flow rates were consistent
throughout the trial period and a weekly cartridge filter replacement was required.

During the trial, visual inspection of the wash bath showed both reduced oil contamination and parts
rejection by quality assurance inspectors. Wash bath life was extended from 2.5 days before filtration to 2
months with ultrafiltration resulting in valuable cleaner savings and wastewater minimization.

DISCUSSION
As seen in the cases above, ultrafiltration with non-porous regenerated cellulose technology is able to
clean and recycle oil-in-water emulsions continuously. For aqueous parts washing applications, a
stabilized level of wash bath cleanliness can be engineered by proper sizing of an ultrafiltration system.
In terms of current wash bath operation, a given Day Cleanliness can be achieved:

BATH CLEANLINESS

( DAYS ) =

WASH BATH VOLUME ( gal )

PERMEATE FLOW ( gal / day )

(1)

Using this relationship between tank size, permeate flow rate and equivalent cleanliness level, an
ultrafiltration system can be sized/selected to provide washing performance relative to a specific day of an
Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water

existing process. For example, in the Schaefer Screw sample given above, an ultrafiltration system sized
at 0.5 gal/min (= 720 gal/day) maintained 300 gal wash bath at Day 0.42 Cleanliness.

CONCLUSION
Ultrafiltration systems that treat oil-in-water emulsions, and specifically aqueous parts washing fluid using
non-porous regenerated cellulose membranes can be effective in recycling aqueous fluids. Manufactured
membrane wall structure, material hydrophilicity and wide operating parameters (pH and temperature) of
this cellulose membrane eliminate operation and maintenance problems traditionally associated with
conventional membranes for these applications using a relatively inexpensive membrane module
replacement concept.

Implementing this recycling system allows manufacturers to maintain good product quality, minimize
wastewater and re-use valuable cleaning chemistry. By maintaining extremely low oil contamination
levels in aqueous wash baths it may also be possible to reduce quantity and/or aggressiveness of some
cleaners.

REFERENCES
1.

Gary D. Miller, Timothy C. Lindsey, AIisa G. Ocker, Michelle C. Miller, EPA Project Summary:
Evaluation of Ultrafiltration to Recover Aqueous Iron Phosphating /Degreasing Bath, September
1993.

2.

Ultrafiltration and Microfiltration Handbook, M. Cheryan, CRC Press, 1998.

Ultrafiltration for Oily Industrial Water