Company visits Membrane Materials and Processes

Recently, our group Membrane Materials and Processes visited four industrial companies to see membrane operations in practice and gain more insight in possibilities for a sustainable environment. Our first visit, to the sewage treatment plant in Eindhoven, gave a view on how our sewage water is treated and purified. Sonac/Ecoson, part of Darling Ingredients, introduced us to the world of the production of sustainable ingredients from animal waste. It was impressive to learn how many very different products that we use every day can be made from animal waste with applications in e.g. the food, beverage, medical, agricultural, chemical and energy industry. The next day we visited Pentair/X-Flow, one of the largest membrane producers worldwide. During this visit we discussed the membrane formation and module production process. In the afternoon the manure treatment installation of Duurzaam Landleven Bernheze was visited. This installation ferments manure which results in biogas that is converted and used to generate green electricity. The residual digestate is treated in a manure treatment train that produces mineral concentrate for fertilization and clean water that is discharged.