- Prime RO Membranes Require up to 20% Less Energy to Produce Higher Quality Water
DuPont Water Solutions today announced it has received the 2023 Energy and Sustainability Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for developing a family of energy-efficient reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that contributes to the decarbonization of water purification.
DuPont™ FilmTec™ Prime RO is a new portfolio of reverse osmosis membranes for industrial applications that require up to 20 percent less energy while improving permeate quality by up to 60 percent, in turn reducing chemical usage in the water purification process. Analysis using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tools indicates that Prime RO products have the potential to reduce global CO2 equivalent emissions by approximately 85,000 metric tons each year compared to legacy products. These claims are compliant with ISO 14021 requirements and have been validated by Anthesis, a global sustainability advisory and solutions firm.
“We are extremely honored that our new Prime RO portfolio of reverse osmosis membranes has received AIChE’s Energy and Sustainability Award, recognizing our team’s dedication to helping solve both global water and climate challenges through innovating for sustainability,” said Alan Chan, Vice President and General Manager, DuPont Water Solutions. “This next generation of brackish water RO elements offers enhanced water quality and reduced energy consumption while maintaining the performance and durability customers expect from FilmTec™.”
Building off the rich heritage of the FilmTec™ BW30 family of membrane elements, Prime RO ushered in two distinct membrane improvements to DuPont’s 8” brackish water (BW) portfolio. The new FilmTec™ BW30XHR features an advanced membrane chemistry that provides a 40 percent reduction in salt passage compared to its predecessor without any sacrifice to water permeability. DuPont™ FilmTec™ BW30 membrane model also received an upgrade in the Prime RO series, implementing an improved membrane chemistry that provides a five percent reduction in energy consumption and a 10 percent decrease in salt passage compared to heritage BW30 membrane elements.
DuPont’s water technologies help purify more than 50 million gallons of water every minute around the world, from wastewater to ultrapure water. DuPont’s innovative technologies allow for the purification, conservation, and reuse of the hardest to treat water – enabling customers to meet their goals for water stewardship, circularity and waste reduction, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. To learn how DuPont has helped both municipal water producers and industrial water users meet goals for water stewardship and water access, see DuPont’s recently released 2023 Sustainability Report.
DuPont offers solutions to a variety of water and sustainability challenges through a broad portfolio of membranes, resins and systems (including reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, ion exchange resins (IEX), ultrafiltration (UF), electrodeionization (EDI), nanofiltration (NF), membrane bioreactor systems (MBR), membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABR), and closed-circuit reverse osmosis (CCRO) systems).
The Energy and Sustainability Award will be presented at the Institute’s Honors Ceremony during the 2023 AIChE Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, on November 5, 2023.
About DuPont Water & Protection
DuPont Water and Protection is a global leader in creating water, shelter and safety solutions for a more sustainable world; enabling its customers to win through unique capabilities, global scale and iconic brands including Kevlar®, Nomex®, Tyvek®, Corian® Design, GreatStuff™, Styrofoam™, and FilmTec™. To learn more: www.dupont.com/water.
About DuPont
DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com.