Toshiba Introduces Ecologically Friendly Non-chemical Feed Filtration System

Toshiba’s Non-chemical Feed Filtration System offers multiple benefits. As an environmentally conscious water treatment system that applies Toshiba’s unique functional powder¹ as a filter aid² it eliminates the coagulants³ found in conventional water treatment systems, reducing residual waste, while the functional powder can be circulated and reused within the system, cutting the cost of treating waste water by approximately 40%⁴.

The system has already been delivered to Fujitsu Limited’s printed circuit board plant in Nagano Japan, where it started operation this month. Toshiba also plans to introduce the system to factories in other Asian countries outside Japan, where there is a fast growing need for a water treatment technology that significantly cuts environmental burdens.

Conventionally, waste water containing minute suspended solids⁵ and with a high specific filtration resistance is treated in a water treatment system that uses coagulants, such as the coagulation-sedimentation method or the dissolved-air-floatation method. However, these conventional systems generate environmental loads, most notably concentrations of suspended solids in sludge, the direct result of the use of coagulant. Toshiba’s innovative system reduces waste generation, a critical issue in the context of industrial water treatment; cuts operating costs significantly; and allows recovery and reuse of valuable materials in the waste water.

The Non-chemical Feed Filtration System reduces the concentration of suspended solids in waste water without the use of any coagulant, by applying Toshiba’s functional powder as a filter aid to promote the removal of suspended solids. Using magnetism to separate the magnetic functional powder from the suspended solids achieves reductions in both the chemical-derived sludge and the cost of waste disposal, and also allows valuable substances in the suspended solids to be recovered with a high level of purity. Running costs are also substantially reduced, since the separated and recovered functional powder can be circulated and reused within the system.

"We are delighted to bring our innovative water treatment system to Singapore International Water Week 2012," said Mr. Naohiro Noro. “Toshiba’s Non-chemical Feed Filtration offers high performance water treatment without the use of coagulants. It has already met the stringent requirements of Fujitsu, and we now plan to introduce it throughout Asia, where it can contribute to cost efficient operation and to environmental protection.

¹ The functional powder applied in the system as a filter aid captures and recovers fine suspended solids. It can be recovered and reused in the system.

²The use of a filter aid for filtering waste water provides three benefits: greater clarification of treated water; no clogging of filters; and a higher filtration rate with greater filtration area.

³A coagulant is a chemical that promotes sedimentation of fine particles contained in waste water that are difficult to separate by force of gravity.

⁴In the case of installation at Fujitsu, Ltd. Nagano Plant.

⁵Suspended solids are particulate matter floating on or suspended in water. They are less than 2mm in diameter.