AIR Option 1: Technology Translation - Moving Reversible Ion Exchange-Membrane (RIX-M) Technology for Desalination into the Market Place: Technology Translation Plan Competition

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目的重点是通过可逆离子交换膜（RIX-M）工艺翻译离子交换基本原理，以填补苦咸水淡化的差距。该转化技术具有以下独特功能：由于反渗透（RO）膜表面钙的硫酸盐和碳酸盐结垢减少，无需添加任何防垢化学品，从而提高了产品水回收率。也可以避免硫酸钡结垢和随后的膜污染的威胁，无论在何处存在。该项目通过将自再生离子交换系统沿着与反渗透工艺相结合来实现这一目标。适当设计的阴离子交换树脂混合床显著降低膜入口处的硫酸盐浓度，从而避免硫酸盐沉淀。反渗透膜过程的废弃物用于再生阴离子交换树脂，而无需添加外部化学品。潜在的经济影响预计是由于消除了防垢化学品，海水淡化厂的运营成本将大幅降低。该合作伙伴关系涉及一家离子交换树脂制造商和一家工程公司，通过在代表性条件下验证该技术，进入全球不断增长的苦咸水淡化市场空间。从商业的角度来看，这项创新也可以为现有的反渗透设备进行改造，从而扩大拟议技术的市场。从更广泛的角度来看，拟议的工作也将为陆上海水淡化技术奠定基础，这种技术不会产生含有环境有害的防垢化学品的废物流，需要进行后处理。随着产品水回收率的提高，废弃盐水的体积将更小，从而减少了处置所需的土地。通过离子交换的基本原理设想的科学方法也可以移植到多级蒸发脱盐系统中，以避免结垢和蒸发器的传热效率随之降低。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating ion exchange fundamentals to fill the gap in brackish water desalination through a Reversible Ion Exchange-Membrane (RIX-M) process. The translated technology has the following unique features: increased product water recovery due to reduction in scaling from sulfate and carbonate salts of calcium on the surface of Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes without requiring addition of any anti-scaling chemicals. Threats of barium sulfate scaling and consequent fouling of membranes, wherever present, may also be avoided. The project accomplishes this goal by integrating a self-regenerated ion exchange system along with the RO process. An appropriately designed mixed bed of anion exchange resins significantly reduce sulfate concentration at the membrane inlet, thus avoiding sulfate precipitation. The reject of the RO membrane process is used to regenerate the anion exchange resins without needing addition of external chemicals. The potential economic impact is expected to be a significant reduction in operating expenses of the desalination plants due to elimination of anti-scaling chemicals. The partnership engages an ion exchange resin manufacturer and an engineering firm to move into the growing brackish water desalination market space globally through validation of the technology under representative conditions. From a business viewpoint, the innovation can also be retrofitted for existing RO plants, thus expanding the market for the proposed technology. From a broader perspective, the proposed work will also lay the basis for an in-land desalination technology which does not create a reject stream containing environmentally objectionable anti-scaling chemicals requiring post treatment. With higher product water recovery, the reject brine will be smaller in volume, thus reducing the land requirement for disposal. The scientific approach envisioned through fundamentals of ion exchange may also be transplanted in multi-stage evaporative desalination systems to avoid scaling and consequent reduction in heat transfer efficiency of evaporators.