Dow Water Solutions Introduces Two New Desalination Membrane Elements

Improvements in salt rejection and higher flow rate result in higher efficiency

Edina, MN - October 01, 2008

Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and a global leader in water purification, seawater desalination, contamination removal and water reuse solutions, announces two new FILMTEC™ 8-inch seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membrane elements for improved performance and energy efficiency in desalination applications. The new elements are being showcased this week at DWS's booth (#1617) at the 2008 Aquatech Amsterdam conference, September 30-October 3, at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Conference Centre.

"As a leading global supplier of reverse osmosis membrane products, Dow Water Solutions continues to advance the technology used to make seawater desalination an even more affordable and energy efficient solution, helping to meet the world's growing demand for high quality, sustainable water," said Cedella Beazley, global marketing manager, DWS. Both the FILMTEC™ SW30XHR-400i and FILMTEC™ SW30ULE-400i, have excellent built-in desalination technology combined with Dow's iLEC™ interlocking end caps to provide reliable and consistent performance.

FILMTEC™ SW30XHR-400i

At 99.80%, the FILMTEC™ SW30XHR-400i has the highest salt rejection consistently demonstrated in the industry. It also effectively removes boron and other dissolved solids to help plant operators and municipalities meet increasingly stringent drinking water standards in an economical way. With a guaranteed active area of 400 square feet and flowrate of 6,000 gallons per day (gpd), the elements enhance productivity and exhibit high performance over operating lifetime. The automated fabrication allows for the use of shorter membrane leaves, reducing fouling and further contributing to product efficiency.

FILMTEC™ SW30ULE-400i

FILMTEC™ SW30ULE-400i elements have a flow rate of 11,000 gpd with 99.70% salt rejection, offering flow twice that of the original seawater element introduced in 1985, without having to sacrifice salt rejection. They are especially suited for seawater desalination at low temperatures, in addition to high TDS brackish water systems.

Both FILMTEC™ SW30XHR-400i and SW30ULE-400i are offered with iLEC™ interlocking caps that reduce pressure drop wthin the permeate tube and help eliminate the o-ring damage that can be a cause of major leakage in traditional desalination membrane systems.

Reverse osmosis membranes from Dow are at work in desalination plants around the world, enabling more than 218 million gallons of freshwater per day in water-stressed cities such as Perth, Australia, Tampa Bay, Fla. USA, and Ashkelon, Israel.

"After three years of pilot testing and commercial experience, enhancements like those featured in our new desalination membrane elements are helping Dow reach its goal to reduce the cost of desalination by 35 percent by 2015," Beazley said. 

For more information about its offerings, visit Dow Water Solutions at Aquatech at booth #1617, or go to www.dowwatersolutions.com.

About Dow Water Solutions

Dow Water Solutions is a performance-based business unit comprised of world-class brands and enabling component technologies designed to advance the science of water purification around the world, including seawater desalination, contaminant removal and water reuse. With more than 1,000 employees worldwide, the business maintains five production facilities globally to manufacture, market and sell reverse osmosis membranes, ion exchange resins, titanium-based arsenic removal media, ultrafiltration, and electrodeionization components. Dow Water Solutions also manufactures, markets and sells premier water purification systems in China.

About Dow

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For Editorial Information:

Jeri Longtin-Kloss
The Dow Chemical Company
1-952-897-4375

Gardner Hatch
Gibbs & Soell, Inc.
1-212-697-2600
ghatch@gibbs-soell.com