Membrane based fluid treatment systems

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates generally to a process for removing inorganic, organic, and microbiological contaminants from fluids. In its more particular aspects, the invention relates to the field of such devices that use membranes as one stage of a fluid treatment process. More particularly, a process for removing soluble and insoluble inorganic, organic, and microbiological contaminants from a fluid stream employing a pretreatment module, a post-treatment module, a recycle stream module or any combination thereof, and a membrane module, is provided. The process provided reduces the problems associated with membrane fouling and increases contaminant removal capacity

#2. Description of Related Art

#FIG. 1 is an illustration noting some of the components of the inventive process.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fluid treatment material containing fluid treatment carbon, metal phosphates, metal oxides, reduced metals, metal silicates, metal sulfates, metal carbonates, metal hydroxides or a combination thereof and a binder matrix in the form of a block which is wrapped in two different polyethylene membrane materials with porosities greater than the composite block, which is contained in a housing and is a component in a pretreatment module, a post treatment module, a recycle treatment module or a combination thereof.

#As indicated above, one embodiment of the invention relates to a process comprised of using, a pretreatment module, a post-treatment module, and a membrane module to create a water treatment system. Typically, the pretreatment, post-treatment, and membrane modules are housings with a fluid inlet and an outlet, which contains a composite material that provides particulate reduction, chemical oxidizer reduction, chemical contaminant modification, and microbiological organism and component reduction.

#A more preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a pretreatment module, and a post-treatment module containing a composite material in the form of a block filter and wrapped with filter sheet material with a larger pore size containing fluid treatment carbon, metal phosphates, metal oxides, reduced metals, silicates, metal sulfates, metal carbonates, silicates, metal hydroxides, or combinations thereof in a binder, which is typically a polymeric material. In a particular aspect of this embodiment, the invention relates to a block filter that contains a mixture of granulated phosphate minerals, silicates, iron in oxide, hydroxide, or reduced metal form or a combination thereof and granulated activated charcoal (GAC) or bone charcoal or other adsorptive filter media in a binder material, such as a thermoplastic of fluid swellable material, such that the mineral derivatives and GAC and/or bone charcoal are fixed within the binder matrix, and that channeling from flow during water treatment cannot occur.

#In another particular aspect of this embodiment, the invention relates to a rigid block filter that contains a mixture of silicate minerals and aluminum oxides, titanium oxides, iron oxides, and granulated activated charcoal (GAC) or bone charcoal, bauxite, or other adsorptive filter media in a binder material, such as a thermoplastic material or fluid swelling material, such that the silicate and aluminum, iron and titanium containing minerals and derivatives and GAC and/or bone charcoal are fixed within the binder matrix, and that channeling from flow during water treatment cannot occur.