Design of a Reverse Osmosis System for Effluent Reuse in the Textile Industry

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to design a reverse osmosis system for reuse in a textile industry, intended for use in finishing processes such as dyeing, bleaching, desizing, whitening, and as feed water for the boiler to generate steam used in the factory. For the design, several analyses of the water used as feed for the system were required, including: pH, temperature, ammonium, chlorides, calcium, magnesium, barium, strontium, sulfates, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and others, in accordance with the reverse osmosis membrane supplier.

The design was carried out using DuPont’s WAVE software, which allowed the simulation of various project construction characteristics and provided data on ion concentrations in the concentrate and permeate streams. In addition to meeting the necessary physicochemical parameters for the industry’s processes, the project also aimed to address sustainability by adhering to the principle of not using water resources or discharging them into the environment.

The capital cost for project implementation was evaluated, including budgeting for membranes, pressure vessels, and pumps, resulting in a total of R$ 220,214.42. This amount was considered high due to the effluent’s characteristics, suggesting the design of an ultrafiltration system prior to reverse osmosis to enhance membrane recovery capacity and permeate flow.