The New Star of Environmental Water Treatment: Primary Filters Become the “Kidneys” of Industry

Recently, a chemical plant revealed an ingenious operation—they have taken primary filters to a new level. This system, featuring a gradient pore design, uses three layers of filters to capture pollutants of different particle sizes: the first layer, a 20-mesh stainless steel mesh, intercepts leaves and silt; the middle layer, 100-micron PP cotton, adsorbs colloids; and the bottom layer, activated carbon, treats dissolved organic matter. This “physical + chemical” dual purification mechanism has boosted wastewater reuse rates to 90%, saving 380,000 tons of water annually. Even more ingeniously, recovered metal impurities like zinc and nickel are sold to smelting plants after precipitation, turning what would have been pollution fines into annual bonuses. Even pig farms are now rushing to purchase this “industrial kidney”—a certain large-scale pig farm uses it to treat washing wastewater, not only meeting the “Pollutant Emission Standards for Livestock and Poultry Farming,” but also separating the manure residue through anaerobic fermentation to produce organic fertilizer, generating an additional 170,000 yuan in annual revenue.

The secret of the primary filter lies in its “smart cleaning technology.” The pulse backwash-type filter used by automobile factories is equipped with a differential pressure sensor and a PLC control system. When the pressure difference across the filter reaches 0.05 MPa, the solenoid valve automatically switches the water flow, using 15% of the treated water for reverse flushing, with the entire process taking only 90 seconds. Photovoltaic farms are even more advanced: their custom models are equipped with flexible solar panels (conversion efficiency of 22%). During the day, the electricity generated powers the filtration pump and charges the battery, while at night, it continues to process drip irrigation water. Test results show that this design achieves an algae removal rate of up to 99.3%, with water and fertilizer utilization rates reaching 92%, and energy savings of 64% compared to traditional sand filters.

However, experts advise tailoring solutions to specific needs: seafood processing plants must use 316L stainless steel with EPDM seals to withstand intergranular corrosion from 3.5% saltwater; semiconductor factories producing ultra-pure water must use 0.1-micron melt-blown filter cartridges and regularly perform CIP cleaning with sodium hydroxide solution. The most cost-effective solution currently available is the “filter all-in-one package” combination—a certain electronics factory in Shandong Province adopted a configuration of “swirl sand separator (pre-treatment) + fiber bundle filter (deep treatment),” with initial investment costs 45% lower than imported equipment and operating costs as low as 0.8 yuan per ton of water. It seems that achieving environmental compliance ultimately depends on whether the first line of defense is as versatile and robust as a Swiss Army knife!

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