Dedicated membrane research programme builds viable local sector

Abstract

Research impact W orldwide, the demand for the use of membranes continues to increase. Membranes are used in a wide range of applications, including the purification of water for domestic and industrial use, for treatment of effluent water and concentrated waste streams. Membranes are further used in the food and beverage industries as well as non-water related sector, for example, to extract medicinal enzymes from fungi under specific conditions. In South Africa, while it has taken some time, membranes are now increasingly being accepted as a viable option in the treatment of water and industrial effluent, and over 15 local and international companies are marketing membranebased technologies here. The local membrane market is dominated by the reverse osmosis (RO) type membrane due to its uses in seawater desalination and wastewater treatment projects. The WRC has long recognised the potential of membrane systems, and has funded research into membrane technologies as far back as the 1970s. However, it was not until 1993 that a dedicated membrane programme was launched.

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