MI Systems’ Mavis Wong Presenting at Membrane Technology Conference and Expo

MI Systems R&D Manager Mavis Wong, PhD, PE will be one of several presenters during the Tuesday evening poster session at the 2023 Membrane Technology Conference and Expo in Knoxville, TN this month. The conference, put on by the American Water Works Association, brings together industry leaders to explore how the latest developments in membrane technology can enhance water reliability and quality. Each year the conference reveals new directions in water and wastewater treatment technologies, desalting and membrane bioreactor applications.

Wong’s presentation will address “Removal of Potassium and Chromium from a Non-Aqueous Stream Using Electrodialysis”. Heavy ends are the highest boiling portion of petroleum containing very little moisture. Many industries are looking for treatment methods as the disposal cost of heavy ends is very high due to the constituents in the streams. In this paper, the treatment of a low pH heavy ends stream is achieved by electrodialysis. The potassium and chromium levels of this stream needs to be reduced before it can be thermally disposed of due to air permitting limits. Due to the high viscosity, low pH and negligible moisture content in the stream, a modified stack design was needed for the treatment. Using the new stack design in a bench study, over 90% removal of potassium and 50% removal of chromium is obtained with minimal crossflow within the stack.

If you are attending the conference, be sure to look for Mavis during the evening poster session on Feb. 21. You can learn more about the conference, here: https://www.awwa.org/Events-Education/Membrane-Technology