Ceramic nanofiltration: Creating a resilient future for drinking water supply

Polymeric nanofiltration membranes are used for organics removal from raw water during drinking water production. A highly selective separation is fostered by accommodating a strict pore size which can also improve continuity in downstream asset operation (e.g. disinfection), therefore enhancing resilience of drinking water supply. However, current polymeric membranes exhibit several challenges. Ceramic nanofiltration (C-NF) is an emerging technology that introduces a thin separation layer to foster selectivity without significant loss to permeability. Several advantages are proposed. While these unique properties can foster a radical shift in the economics, operability and resilience of nanofiltration, C-NF has yet to be developed explicitly for drinking water treatment, where these separation attributes must be challenged to evidence their translatability to this industrial context. This project therefore seeks to evaluate C-NF as a next generation technology for the production of drinking water from organic rich raw waters.