What data does a membrane supplier need to assess industrial wastewater?

Define all three streams

State the water source, upstream treatment and required permeate use or limit. Also identify where concentrate will go: discharge, disposal, product recovery or another process. A proposal that does not address both outlets is incomplete.

• Average, maximum and minimum flow; operating hours and batch peaks.
• Temperature, pH, conductivity, suspended and total solids, total and soluble COD; oils, fibres and particle size where relevant.
• Permeate quality target and acceptable concentrate constraints.
• Cleaning chemicals, oxidants, solvents, and seasonal or production variability.

Send comparable data

Attach the date, sampling point, flow and production state to each sample. A monthly average can hide short discharges that foul or damage a membrane. If data are missing, say so and plan representative sampling.

A process diagram or P&ID helps check pumping, pretreatment, footprint, connections, instrumentation and CIP. Ranges may support an initial proposal, but should not become permeate guarantees.

• Separate measurements, estimates and contractual requirements.
• Record units and analytical methods.
• Include several operating states, not only the best day.

What these data can decide

The initial brief can rule out clear incompatibilities and compare routes: UF for solids, ceramic filtration for demanding service, or RO after suitable pretreatment. Final selection depends on tests of flux, fouling, cleaning and both outlet qualities.

If measurements are unavailable, specify a sampling campaign before choosing equipment: take samples at the proposed membrane inlet, include routine production and cleaning events, and log the corresponding flows. This gives the supplier a decision range rather than a falsely precise design point.