ZLD · Technology
Zero Liquid Discharge
Zero liquid discharge is not a single technology; it is a system architecture. Petro Sep engineers ZLD trains that combine VMD, MD, and SLS with crystallization to deliver compliant systems where every drop of water is recovered and the only output is solid waste. We pilot the full train on real feed before any capex commitment.
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.
- Liquid discharge
- Zero
- Permit-ready for jurisdictions with strict discharge limits.
- Water recovery
- 98 to 99.5%
- Returned to the process loop or polished to discharge.
- Energy vs all-evaporation ZLD
- 1/3 to 1/2
- Membrane stages handle the bulk of the volume; thermal stages handle only the final concentration.
How it works
The working principle.
ZLD trains stage separation by feed concentration. Membrane stages handle dilute and mid-range feeds at low energy. Thermal stages take the final brine to dryness. The result: every kg of dissolved solid leaves the plant as solid, every kg of water leaves as recovered liquid.
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.
- Final solids
- Solid only
- Water recovery
- 98 to 99.5%
- Specific energy
- 200 to 400kWh/m³ feed
- Footprint
- Modular
Where it's deployed
Industries that use this process.
Zero Liquid Discharge fits some sectors better than others. The industries below are where we have shipped multiple systems.
Mining
Tailings concentration, lithium recovery, zero liquid discharge.
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Water & Wastewater
Municipal wastewater, leachate, hard-to-treat brines.
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Industrial Manufacturing
VOC capture, process water, industrial reuse.
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Oil & Gas
Produced water, frac flowback, solvent recovery.
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Have a feed that ZLD
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.