Toray’s Membray MBR module is comprised of an element block and an aeration block. The element block contains the PVDF membrane filter elements stacked at equal intervals. Each element is connected via a polyurethane tube to a permeate water manifold. The aeration block consists of air diffusers used to supply air to the MBR module. Using membranes with a high density distribution of 0.08 µ nominal pores to separate sludge ensures an extremely high quality for treated water free from suspended solids. The membranes can retain activated sludge at high concentrations, allowing BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) as well as nitrogen to be removed more efficiently with minimal clogging.
The module can be submerged directly into an activated sludge tank for combining biological treatment and membrane separation. It eliminates the secondary sedimentation process and reduces the activated sludge tank size. The flat sheet MBR plate-and-frame configuration is inherently more resistant to fouling than the hollow fibre membrane configuration. Therefore, it results in fewer chemical cleaning requirements. The reduced module fouling from human hair and other obstructive substances allows for coarser screening as a pretreatment process.