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UF Filtration

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What is Ultra-filtration?
How an Ultra-filtration Membrane Works?

Ultra-filtration (UF) uses standard home water pressure to push water through a semipermeable membrane and remove any contaminants. Unlike reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration retains minerals in the water, while filtering out bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

How ultra-filtration works

Ultrafiltration is one membrane filtration process that serves as a barrier to separate harmful bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from clean water. An ultrafiltration water system forces water through a .02 micron membrane. Suspended particles that are too large to pass through the membrane stick to the outer membrane surface. Only fresh water and dissolved minerals pass through.

How ultra-filtration works

Ultrafiltration is one membrane filtration process that serves as a barrier to separate harmful bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from clean water. An ultrafiltration water system forces water through a .02 micron membrane. Suspended particles that are too large to pass through the membrane stick to the outer membrane surface. Only fresh water and dissolved minerals pass through.

Reverse osmosis vs ultrafiltration

Many ultrafiltration systems use a hollow fiber membrane, which filters water from the inside out. This provides a large surface area for particles to adhere to. Other membranes, like the spiral wound RO membrane, filter from the outside in. The hollow fiber membrane has a high chemical resistance to oxidants and chlorine, but a TFC reverse osmosis membrane cannot tolerate any chlorine.

A reverse osmosis system provides the most extensive filtration because the RO membrane has the smallest pore size, but this level of filtration is not always necessary or preferred. A UF system retains beneficial minerals that an RO system removes. However, this means that an ultrafiltration system does not remove salts, fluoride, or TDS dissolved in water. An ultrafiltration system also operates on low water pressure, but a reverse osmosis system needs a booster pump to increase water flow.

Ultra-filtration vs nano-filtration and micro-filtration

The difference between all four types of membrane filtration– reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and micro-filtration is the membrane pore size or reduced particle size. The method you need depends on the level of water quality you want or need. The chart below shows the spectrum of reduction for each type of membrane filtration.

What can ultra-filtration remove?

The UF membrane is a super fine filter that reduces particles 5,000 times smaller than a human hair. Ultrafiltration gives 90-100% reduction in these contaminants. While UF can’t reduce some organics, a .05 micron carbon block prefilter can be added to a system to reduce chlorine taste and odor, lead, cysts, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metallic trace elements (MTE). A UF membrane lasts about two years. 

Ultra-filtration benefits

  • – System operates at a low pressure
  • – Removes bacteria and viruses
  • – Keeps essential minerals in water
  • – Installs quickly and easily
  • – Does not generate waste water

An ultrafiltration system is eco-friendly. Ultrafiltration has a 90-95% recovery rate and can be used to treat wastewater for reuse. Using a home ultrafiltration water system benefits the environment by reducing the amount of plastic water bottles discarded in landfills.