MD · Technology
Membrane Distillation
Membrane distillation is the thermal cousin of VMD. A temperature gradient across a hydrophobic membrane drives water vapor from a hot feed to a cooler permeate side. No vacuum required. Used where waste heat is plentiful and the feed cannot tolerate the energy of true evaporation.
What it solves
Performance you can size against.
The outcomes below come from commissioned systems and verified pilots, not theoretical limits. Every number is independently testable on your own feed.
- Thermally driven, no vacuum
- Suits sites with available waste heat and tight space envelopes.
- Recovery on high-TDS feeds
- Up to 95%
- Comparable to VMD on most feeds.
- Operating temperature
- 60 to 90°C
- Pairs with low-grade heat sources.
- Distillate quality
- <10 mg/L TDS
- Boiler-quality water from highly impaired feeds.
How it works
The working principle.
Hot feed flows on one side of a hydrophobic membrane. Cool distillate flows on the other side. The temperature differential creates a vapor pressure gradient that drives water vapor through the membrane pores. The membrane stays liquid-tight; only vapor crosses. Distillate condenses on the cool side and is collected.
Process diagram
Custom SVG to be added in design phase
Performance envelope
Specs and operating range.
For preliminary sizing only. Production sizing is always validated against your specific feed.
- Recovery
- 85 to 95%
- Maximum feed TDS
- 200,000mg/L
- Distillate quality
- <10mg/L TDS
- Hot side temperature
- 60 to 90°C
- Cold side temperature
- 20 to 40°C
- Specific thermal energy
- 300 to 600kWh thermal/m³
Where it's deployed
Industries that use this process.
Membrane Distillation fits some sectors better than others. The industries below are where we have shipped multiple systems.
Have a feed that MD
might fit?
We will pilot before we promise. Send us a sample and a target outcome. If the technology fits, we will tell you what to expect; if it does not, we will tell you that too.