Semiconductor Desalination Pilot, EMEA

An engineering company selected ROTEC to conduct a pilot utilizing Flow Reversal Reverse Osmosis (FR-RO) technology for the R&D site of a global large-scale semiconductor company in order to increase the efficiency of the plant’s water cycle.

The project aimed to increase the water recovery rate from 70% to an impressive 88-94%, pursuing the sweet spot of maximum recovery rate while maintaining stable operation, and minimizing CIP for challenging and changing feed wastewater quality. The pilot installation at the customer’s facility implementing Flow Reversal was completed in mid-2023.

On a mission to enhance performance and maximize production, the customer needed an RO desalination treatment process for five different flows of industrial feedwater. With the entire semiconductor industry pursuing the goal of near zero liquid discharge, the customer also wanted to minimize waste. Following an in-depth analysis, ROTEC recommended treating three of the streams using FR-RO technology, and two separate streams using our Brine Concentrator, for RO optimization and brine reduction, a crucial element in the customer’s waste-minimization goals.

ROTEC delivered a turnkey commercial RO facility demo installation, from design, through to on-site installation and commissioning. The project also included remote supervision of the demo unit, testing the maximum recovery possible when utilizing Flow Reversal on a wastewater stream from a semiconductor factory. The Pilot comprised three stages, in a 3:2:1 pressure vessel (PV) configuration. It utilized Flow Reversal to reverse the flow between the PVs in the first stage and the PVs in the third stage, with simultaneous Flow Reversal in the second stage. This allowed the RO system to demonstrate an unprecedented 88-90% recovery rate, with stable operation.

ROTEC’s FR-RO is a cutting-edge technology that improves the efficiency and sustainability of water treatment processes. By utilizing it, the customer increased its water recovery rates while reducing the amount of energy, brine and chemicals required for the process, thus enhancing performance and production.