High Flux Anti-Fouling MBR Membrane with 0.1μm Filtration Precision for Municipal Sewage Treatment

Municipal sewage is the daily reality of every city — and its treatment demands membranes that can sustain high throughput without fouling. Zhongqiao Enlightenment’s high flux anti-fouling MBR membrane is a third-generation PVDF hollow fiber membrane with a sponge-like structure and a separation skin-layer pore size of just 0.03–0.05 microns. It delivers an initial pure water flux of 600–1000 L/(m²·h) and a stable operating flux of 10–25 L/(m²·h) at 0.1 micron filtration precision, giving municipal utilities a membrane that keeps producing clean water day after day, year after year.

The sponge-like pore structure of this third-generation membrane is its defining advantage over older second-generation membranes with finger-like pores. If the surface of a finger-like membrane is damaged, the straight channels can connect directly from feed to permeate, letting solids pass through. The sponge-like structure of our membrane is far less likely to form such through-channels, so even a slightly damaged membrane continues to deliver safe, clean effluent. Municipal plants upgrading their discharge standards — for example to Class A standards or reuse quality — can rely on this membrane to hold the line on suspended solids and turbidity.

• High flux, high precision: Initial pure water flux of 600–1000 L/(m²·h), operating flux of 10–25 L/(m²·h), and 0.1 μm average pore size deliver outstanding filtering accuracy and stable long-term flux.
• Sponge-like third-generation structure with 0.03–0.05 μm surface skin layer for higher effluent safety and lower risk of through-channel defects.
• Permanent hydrophilicity from amphiphilic copolymer blending: resists acid, alkali, and oxidation, prevents pore collapse, and recovers 80–90% of flux after drying.
• Strong anti-fouling performance: hydrophobic pollutant adsorption and hydrophilic additive leaching — the classic fouling accelerators of conventional membranes — are eliminated at the material level.
• Robust tolerance of high sludge concentrations: operates reliably at MLSS of 4–13 g/L, ideal for compact municipal MBR designs with high biomass.
• Low operating energy: uniform filament arrangement with 0.8 mm (±0.1 mm) spacing gives high packing density and lower energy consumption per cubic meter of treated water.

Standard membrane curtains cover 7, 10, 15, 20, and 35 m² per piece. For municipal-scale projects, Zhongqiao Box 5.0 custom configurations are available for treatment capacities from 25 to 300 m³/day, with total membrane areas from 75 to 990 m².

This high flux membrane is engineered for municipal sewage treatment in all its forms: municipal wastewater treatment plants (new build and expansion), upgrading of existing activated sludge plants to meet stricter discharge standards, decentralized community and residential sewage systems, small and medium sewage treatment stations (25–300 m³/day), effluent reuse and landscaping water, and combined municipal–industrial catchment treatment. It also performs strongly in packaged and containerized sewage treatment plants where footprint is limited but effluent quality requirements are high.

Zhongqiao Enlightenment is a source manufacturer of MBR membranes with a 2,500 m² production workshop, invention patents, and new-product certifications. More than 3,000 wastewater treatment projects use our self-developed membranes. We provide one-stop services from water quality consultation and model selection through equipment supply, installation & construction, and operation & maintenance — the complete package municipal buyers need for a successful membrane bioreactor project.

With a 0.1 μm pore size and a sponge-like third-generation structure, the membrane delivers permeate that consistently meets or exceeds the strictest municipal targets: suspended solids below 5 mg/L (typically under 1 mg/L), turbidity below 1 NTU, and a 3–6 log reduction of indicator bacteria such as E. coli and coliforms. Biological polishing in the MBR tank further cuts COD, BOD, and ammonia, so the combined system routinely achieves effluent suitable for direct discharge to sensitive water bodies — or, with light downstream disinfection, for reuse in irrigation, toilet flushing, and landscape watering.

For plants upgrading from conventional activated sludge, the improvement is immediate and visible: replacing the secondary clarifier with membrane separation raises effluent quality from roughly 20–30 mg/L SS to below 5 mg/L in the same footprint. The 0.03–0.05 μm skin layer adds an extra safety margin, because even if the fiber surface is scratched or abraded, the sponge-like substructure resists forming the through-channels that would let solids leak into the permeate.

Operation is straightforward: run at 10–25 L/(m²·h) with a typical filtration cycle of 8–12 minutes followed by 1–2 minutes of backwash, and maintain an aeration rate that keeps the fiber bundle gently moving. When trans-membrane pressure rises or flux drops about 20% below baseline, perform a maintenance clean with sodium hypochlorite, followed if needed by an acid clean for inorganic scaling. The membrane’s permanent hydrophilicity and oxidation resistance keep these cleaning cycles effective without degrading the fiber, and the 80–90% flux recovery after drying gives operators confidence that even an extended shutdown will not ruin the membrane — a practical safety net every municipal plant appreciates.

Aeration is the largest energy consumer in any MBR plant, and our design keeps it honest. Because the uniform 0.8 mm (±0.1 mm) filament spacing packs more membrane area into each curtain, every cubic meter of aeration air scours more fiber surface — so plants can run at lower specific aeration rates while maintaining clean membranes. The dual aeration system (external plus internal) further improves scouring efficiency, and the high flux characteristics of the membrane allow operation in the lower half of the 10–25 L/(m²·h) range without sacrificing capacity. The practical result is an MBR that treats more water per kilowatt-hour, which directly improves the economics of municipal sewage treatment where energy often accounts for more than half of operating cost.

Send us your inflow quality, discharge standard, and daily capacity, and our engineers will size the membrane system and recommend the optimum curtain configuration.