Tubular Microfiltration Membrane: Ultimate Solution for Harsh Industrial Water Treatment & Liquid Separation

1. Introduction to Tubular Microfiltration Membrane (TMF)

Tubular microfiltration (TMF) membrane is a pressure-driven cross-flow separation membrane product designed specifically for high-turbidity, high-suspended-solid, high-viscosity and oily wastewater treatment scenarios. As a core branch of membrane separation technology, it features a tubular hollow structure with a precise pore size ranging from 0.1μm to 10μm, filling the performance gap between conventional sand filtration and ultrafiltration membranes.

Different from flat sheet membranes and hollow fiber membranes that are vulnerable to fouling and breakage, tubular microfiltration membranes adopt an open tubular flow channel design. They can stably operate in complex raw water environments that most common filtration membranes cannot adapt to. Nowadays, TMF membranes have become the preferred filtration equipment for industrial wastewater recycling, process liquid clarification, pre-treatment of advanced water treatment systems and external MBR modules worldwide.

2. Working Principle of Tubular Microfiltration Membrane

All our tubular microfiltration membrane systems adopt inside-out cross-flow filtration technology, which is the most reliable operating mode for harsh wastewater conditions. The whole filtration process is divided into three simple and efficient steps:

1. High-speed raw water circulation: The raw wastewater or process liquid is pumped into the inner cavity of tubular membrane elements at a high linear flow rate. The fast flowing liquid generates continuous shear force on the inner membrane surface.

2. Pressure-driven separation: Under stable transmembrane pressure (TMP), water molecules, dissolved salts and tiny small-molecule substances penetrate the membrane wall to form clean permeate water that meets discharge or reuse standards.

3. Impurity interception and concentration: Suspended solids, oil droplets, colloids, bacteria, large organic particles and other pollutants larger than membrane pores are trapped inside the membrane tube and discharged as retentate concentrate. The high cross-flow speed prevents pollutants from attaching and accumulating on the membrane surface permanently.

Compared with dead-end filtration, cross-flow filtration drastically reduces membrane fouling risk, realizes 24-hour continuous automatic operation, and minimizes system downtime caused by frequent cleaning.

3. Core Materials & Structural Design of Our TMF Membrane

We independently develop and produce high-performance tubular microfiltration membranes with two mainstream premium materials to match diversified industrial working conditions:

3.1 PVDF Tubular Microfiltration Membrane

PVDF is the most popular polymer material for industrial tubular membranes. With excellent chemical resistance, oxidation resistance and mechanical strength, it can withstand regular chemical cleaning with sodium hypochlorite, acid and alkali solutions. The membrane surface adopts hydrophilic modification technology, which effectively enhances anti-fouling performance and restores water flux completely after cleaning. Suitable for most general industrial wastewater, printing and dyeing wastewater, food and beverage liquid clarification projects.

3.2 PE Tubular Microfiltration Membrane

Made of high-density polyethylene raw materials through integral sintering process, PE tubular membranes feature unparalleled wear resistance and impact resistance. The integral seamless structure avoids glue leakage and membrane layer peeling problems existing in bonded tubular membranes. Perfect for wastewater with high particle content such as mining wastewater, cutting fluid wastewater and landfill leachate.

3.3 Standard Module Structure

• Common tube diameter: 8mm / 12.5mm inner diameter

• Module configuration: Bundled multi-tube integrated module, easy for on-site installation and replacement

• Operating temperature: 0℃ - 45℃

• Max operating pressure: 0.6MPa

4. Key Advantages of Tubular Microfiltration Membrane vs Other Membrane Products

In harsh industrial filtration scenarios, tubular microfiltration membranes show irreplaceable competitive advantages over hollow fiber UF membranes and flat sheet membranes:

4.1 Strong Anti-Fouling Capacity for Complex Raw Water

Large open flow channels will not be blocked by sludge, fibers and large suspended solids. It can directly treat wastewater with SS up to 5000mg/L without pre-filtration protection, saving pre-treatment tank investment and pipeline costs.

4.2 Long Service Life & Low Replacement Cost

Robust integral structure resists fiber breakage and membrane damage. The average service life reaches 3-5 years, much longer than hollow fiber membranes (1-2 years). The whole system requires fewer spare parts, cutting long-term operation and maintenance costs greatly.

4.3 Simple Automatic Cleaning & Low Downtime

Support online backwashing, chemical enhanced cleaning (CIP) and air-water backwashing. The whole cleaning process runs automatically without manual intervention. Short cleaning cycle and fast flux recovery ensure stable long-term system water yield.

4.4 Wide Chemical Adaptability

Resistant to acid, alkali, oil and organic solvents. It can adapt to wastewater with fluctuating pH value (pH 2-12) in different industrial production lines.

4.5 Easy Maintenance & Compact Footprint

Modular integrated design, plug-and-play installation. No complicated maintenance work. The compact system structure saves overall workshop floor space compared with traditional sedimentation tank filtration processes.

5. Main Industrial Application Fields

Our tubular microfiltration membranes are widely sold to Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, covering full-range industrial liquid separation and water reuse industries:

• Industrial Wastewater Reuse: Pretreatment for RO systems, removal of SS, colloids and oil in electroplating wastewater, printing and dyeing wastewater, chemical wastewater, realizing zero liquid discharge (ZLD)

• Landfill Leachate Treatment: Stable filtration for high-concentration organic leachate, reducing membrane fouling of subsequent NF/RO systems

• Food & Beverage Industry: Clarification of fruit juice, wine, syrup and fermentation broth; removal of bacteria and suspended impurities without damaging original flavor

• Oil-water Separation: Treatment of cutting fluid wastewater, catering oily wastewater, petrochemical wastewater; efficient interception of oil droplets to achieve standard discharge

• Mining & Metallurgy Wastewater: Removal of mineral dust and heavy metal particles in mine wastewater, recycling process water for production reuse

• External MBR System: Replace traditional submerged MBR membranes, adapt to high sludge concentration working conditions, improve sewage treatment efficiency

6. Standard Cleaning & Maintenance Guidelines

Proper daily maintenance can maximize the service life and stable flux of tubular microfiltration membranes. We provide standardized cleaning guidance for global customers:

1. Regular Online Backwashing: Conduct pure water backwashing every 30-60 minutes to remove surface loose pollutants

2. Alkaline Chemical Cleaning: Use 0.5% sodium hydroxide solution to remove organic fouling and oil contamination every 1-2 months

3. Acid Chemical Cleaning: Use citric acid or hydrochloric acid solution to eliminate inorganic scaling such as calcium and magnesium precipitates

4. Daily Inspection: Monitor transmembrane pressure and permeate flow in real time; clean the membrane timely once TMP rises abnormally

7. FAQ About Tubular Microfiltration Membrane

Q1: What is the difference between microfiltration and ultrafiltration tubular membranes?

A: The core difference lies in pore size. Tubular microfiltration membrane pore size is 0.1-10μm, mainly used for removing SS, oil, colloids and bacteria. Tubular ultrafiltration membrane has a smaller pore size (0.01-0.1μm), which can intercept macromolecular organics. TMF is more cost-effective and more anti-fouling for primary clarification of high-solids wastewater.

Q2: Can tubular microfiltration membranes run continuously 24/7?

A: Yes. With automatic backwashing and CIP cleaning system, our TMF membrane modules support unattended 24-hour continuous operation, perfectly matching large-scale industrial production schedules.

Q3: Do you support customized membrane modules?

A: We provide full custom services, including customized membrane length, pore size, module housing material and system skid-mounted integration according to customers’ actual water quality, water yield and on-site space conditions.

8. Why Choose Our Tubular Microfiltration Membrane Products?

• Professional membrane manufacturer with 12+ years of R&D and production experience

• Strict raw material inspection and 100% factory pressure testing before delivery

• Free water quality analysis and personalized system design solution

• Overseas one-stop after-sales service, remote technical guidance and on-site installation support

• Cost-effective factory direct sales, no middleman markup

Final Words

Facing increasingly stringent global industrial wastewater discharge standards and rising water reuse costs, tubular microfiltration membrane has become a reliable and cost-efficient filtration solution for challenging water treatment projects. Whether you need single membrane elements, complete membrane modules or integrated skid-mounted water treatment systems, we can provide tailored solutions for your projects.

Contact us today to get your free quotation and professional water treatment solution!