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Process water

A decisive factor for industrial processes

What is meant by process water?

Hardly any industrial process can function without water. Whether in automotive manufacturing, power plant engineering, the food industry, paper production, the beverage industry, or metalworking—water plays a vital role in various manufacturing processes. Since these different processes have very different requirements regarding the quality and composition of the water, ordinary drinking water generally cannot be used. As part of treatment processes, the water is specifically treated to match the requirements of the process. Typical treatment methods for process water include, for example, desalination, decarbonization, and filtration.

What is process water needed for?

Process water has a wide range of industrial applications, such as boiler feed water in steam power plants, cooling water in technical processes, and ultrapure water in sensitive areas like the pharmaceutical industry. Boiler feed water is used for steam generation in steam power plants. It must meet specific quality requirements to minimize corrosion and deposits in the boiler. Important treatment processes include degassing to remove oxygen, softening and filtration to eliminate foreign particles, as well as partial or full desalination, usually via reverse osmosis or ion exchange. Cooling water is used in industry to cool machinery and processes. Careful water treatment is essential to prevent deposits, corrosion, and microbial growth. This includes deacidification and softening processes, as well as the elimination of germs. Particle filtration is particularly important in open cooling circuits to remove contaminants. Ultrapure water is often treated via reverse osmosis and is used in the manufacture of medicines, medical research, and semiconductor production. This treatment is frequently combined with additional purification processes such as ion exchange, UV irradiation, or ultrafiltration to achieve the highest levels of purity. ATN Water Treatment offers comprehensive solutions for generating process water that meets the highest quality and purity standards to satisfy the specific requirements of various industrial processes.

Which systems can treat process water?

There are many different methods and systems for treating water for industrial use. Below, we provide a brief overview of the most commonly used systems.

Reverse osmosis systems

Reverse osmosis systems are used in process water treatment to soften and desalinate water, as well as to remove unwanted substances. The principle is as simple as it is ingenious: by using a semi-permeable membrane and applying high pressure, the natural principle of osmosis is reversed. The result: high-quality process water collects on one side of the membrane, while the concentration of unwanted substances increases on the other. Reverse osmosis is particularly notable for its very high degree of purity, small footprint, and cost-effective acquisition.

Filtration systems

Customized filtration systems are capable of removing unwanted particles from raw water. The design of the filtration system depends on the specific objective. The range of methods extends from classic particle filtration and iron/manganese removal to adsorption filtration. Depending on the industrial process, ATN employs a wide variety of technologies such as bag filters, cartridge filters, sand filters, multi-layer filters, activated carbon filters, or membrane filters to produce high-quality process water.

Ion exchangers

Ion exchangers work by adding ions that replace specific dissolved ions of the same charge in the water. A typical practical example of an ion exchanger is a dishwasher, where a cation ion exchanger removes calcium cations from the water to prevent limescale deposits on dishes. In industry, ion exchangers are used in the manufacturing of electronic components, among other things. Here, companies rely on the water used having an extremely low conductivity. Ion exchangers are also frequently found in medical technology and water treatment in breweries.

Degassing systems

Degassing systems are based on membrane technology and are used to remove gases from liquids. Typical applications include, for example, the removal of dissolved oxygen from brewing water or mixing water in juice production to prevent oxidation processes. Membrane degassing typically uses a hydrophobic pore membrane. While this membrane is impermeable to water, it allows gases to pass through. By applying a vacuum to one side of the membrane, the unwanted gas diffuses through the membrane and collects on one side, while the degassed process water can be extracted from the other. Degassing systems are characterized by the fact that no chemicals are required and operating costs are low. Furthermore, the degassing process is highly effective due to its continuous operation, low pressure loss, and the compact design of the system.

Process water for your facility?

The range of services offered by the process water experts at ATN is diverse. We provide our industrial clients with the following cross-industry services for process water treatment: consulting, planning, plant engineering, research & development, and service & maintenance. Through our diverse collaborations with specialized partner companies, we are able to design customized water treatment systems tailored to the individual needs of our clients. When planning process water treatment plants, we always focus on professional design, economic success for the client, and sustainability. Whether it is reverse osmosis, degassing, filtration, or ion exchange – ATN Water Treatment supports you with all aspects of process water, backed by our many years of experience. We look forward to your inquiry and would be happy to schedule a personal consultation.