BW30BR-400/34i Backwash Tolerant Brackish Water RO Membrane

BW30BR-400/34i Backwash Tolerant Brackish Water RO Membrane

BW30BR-400/34i is a heavy-duty backwash tolerant brackish water RO membrane built for systems with frequent automatic backwash and CIP cyclic cleaning cycles. As a unique upgraded alternative to standard BW30-400/34i, anti-fouling BW30FR-400/34i and low-energy BW30HR LE-400/34i, this 8-inch spiral-wound reinforced polyamide TFC membrane integrates robust membrane leaf support structure and patented iLEC interlocking end caps paired with 34mil thick feed spacer. It delivers stable 99.4% consistent salt rejection while resisting repeated high-flow backwash scouring, avoiding active layer peeling and performance decay common in ordinary RO elements. Perfect for automatic circulating water lines, large-scale municipal reclaimed water plants and mine water treatment systems with regular online backwash procedures, it cuts membrane replacement frequency and stabilizes long-term system operation efficiency for global EPC water treatment contractors.

Product Description

The BW30BR-400/34i is an industrial-grade reinforced backwash resistant reverse osmosis membrane element with full 400 sq.ft effective membrane area, exclusively engineered for automated water treatment systems equipped with regular online backwash and cyclic chemical cleaning stations. Unlike FR series membranes that only focus on static organic anti-adhesion and HR low-energy models optimized for steady low-pressure single-pass operation, the BR series adds multi-layer fiber reinforcement to each membrane leaf to enhance mechanical tensile strength against bidirectional backwash water impact. Equipped with standardized 34mil thickened wide feed spacer and integrated iLEC interlocking end cap sealing system, it eliminates inter-element leakage during frequent forward-reverse flow switching. Under standardized test conditions, its nominal daily permeate yield reaches 40m³ with steady 99.4% salt rejection, forming reliable interception of hardness ions, suspended solids, bio-colloids, TOC and trace heavy metals. Fully interchangeable with mainstream 8-inch standard RO pressure vessels, it supports direct plug-and-play replacement of BW30-400/34i, BW30FR-400/34i and other BW series elements without modifying pipeline backwash loops and automatic control programs. With expanded mechanical and chemical tolerance range, it solves the universal industry pain point of ordinary RO membranes suffering irreversible membrane layer damage after long-term repeated backwash, especially suitable for 24h fully automatic unattended water treatment facilities with daily backwash schedules.

Working Principle

BW30BR-400/34i operates on reinforced TFC polyamide selective permeation technology with dual-flow bidirectional backwash compatibility, splitting its working cycle into two independent stable phases: forward production filtration and reverse online backwash. During forward production phase, low hydraulic pressure above raw water osmotic pressure pushes pure water molecules through the reinforced dense polyamide active layer, while dissolved salts, suspended particles and organic pollutants are trapped on the feed side and discharged as concentrated brine. Its core unique advantage lies in the fiber-reinforced membrane substrate, which shares the bidirectional water flow shear force during reverse backwash, preventing active layer delamination that plagues non-reinforced standard membranes. The 34mil thick wide flow channel provides sufficient flow space for high-volume backwash water, forming strong turbulent scouring to strip dirt deposits on the membrane surface without localized high flow pressure damage. After backwash completes, the system switches back to forward production mode instantly, and the reinforced membrane structure quickly recovers stable permeation performance without permanent flux loss. The whole process relies purely on physical separation and bidirectional hydraulic flushing, no extra auxiliary cleaning agents required for daily routine dirt removal, realizing fully automatic cyclic purification for continuously operated water treatment systems.

Technical Features

1. Multi-Layer Fiber Reinforced Membrane Leaf Structure: 

Unique internal fiber substrate reinforcement for every single membrane leaf, greatly boosting tensile and peel resistance against repeated bidirectional backwash water shear force, effectively avoiding active layer cracking and delamination.

2. Balanced 99.4% Stable Salt Rejection Formula: 

Optimized polyamide active layer molecular structure, maintaining consistent 99.4% comprehensive salt rejection for conventional inorganic salts, reliable interception of silica, boron and TOC without sacrificing mechanical backwash tolerance.

3. 34mil Extra Thick Wide Feed Spacer for High Flow Backwash: 

Thicker feed channel spacer expands cross-sectional flow area, reduces local flow velocity peak during large-volume reverse flushing, evenly disperses water impact to protect membrane surface.

4. Integrated iLEC Interlocking Leak-Proof End Caps: 

Precision interlocking self-sealing structure eliminates O-ring failure risks under frequent forward-reverse flow switching, maintains tight sealing performance during daily automatic backwash cycles.

5. Expanded Dual Mechanical & Chemical Tolerance: 

Continuous operation pH 2–11, short cleaning pH 1–13; reinforced shell and membrane structure withstand long-term cyclic backwash pressure fluctuations, compatible with daily automatic online cleaning workflows.

Product Advantages

1. Long Service Life Under Frequent Backwash Cycles: 

Compared with ordinary BW series and FR anti-fouling membranes without reinforcement, it can withstand daily automatic backwash for 3–5 years without obvious performance attenuation, greatly cutting annual membrane replacement procurement costs for fully automatic water plants.

2. No Permanent Performance Loss After Repeated Flushing: 

The reinforced membrane substrate prevents irreversible damage from bidirectional water scouring; flux and salt rejection can fully recover after each backwash, eliminating gradual efficiency decline common in standard elements.

3. Lower Auxiliary Operation Consumption: 

The wide thickened flow channel realizes efficient dirt stripping via pure hydraulic backwash, reducing the dosage frequency of alkaline/acid cleaning agents and cutting chemical consumption expenses for long-term system operation.

4. Perfect Compatibility With Automatic Backwash Skids: 

Standard 8-inch dimension and iLEC end cap structure match all existing automatic backwash pipeline modules, no need to redesign backwash loops or upgrade control logic during equipment renovation.

5. Stable Operation Under Unattended 24h Automatic Mode: 

Strong mechanical anti-impact structure reduces membrane failure alarm frequency caused by daily backwash impact, lowering on-site manual inspection and maintenance workload for unmanned water treatment stations.

Application Fields

1. Automatic Industrial Circulating Cooling Water Reuse: 

For chemical, metallurgy and power plant closed circulating water systems with daily scheduled backwash, remove scaling ions and suspended sludge to realize zero-discharge cyclic water utilization.

2. Large Municipal Sewage Reclamation Plants: 

Medium and large reclaimed water projects with 24h unattended operation and automatic backwash cycles, treat secondary effluent to reach urban greening and industrial reuse water standards.

3. Underground Mine Wastewater Treatment Stations: 

Mine water contains high suspended sediment and regular online backwash requirements, solve the problem of ordinary membranes rapid damage from frequent reverse flushing of sediment-laden water.

4. Continuous Production Process Water Lines: 

Food, printing and textile factories with uninterrupted production and daily automatic membrane backwash, provide stable pretreatment desalination for production process water.

5. Centralized Rural Large-Scale Brackish Water Desalination Projects: 

Fully automatic rural water supply stations with timed backwash cycles, treat high-sediment inland brackish water to meet domestic safe drinking water standards.

FAQs

Q1: What core difference separates BW30BR-400/34i from BW30FR-400/34i and BW30HR LE-400/34i?

A1: BW30BR-400/34i’s core unique strength is fiber reinforced backwash resistance design. FR series only adds hydrophilic surface coating to resist static organic adhesion, with no reinforcement against reverse flushing impact; HR LE series focuses on low-pressure energy saving without enhanced mechanical structure. BR model adds fiber substrate inside every membrane leaf to withstand daily bidirectional automatic backwash, ideal for fully automatic systems with frequent reverse flow cycles, while FR suits static polluted water and HR suits steady low-pressure manual operation projects. All three share unified 8-inch iLEC installation dimensions for interchangeable replacement.

Q2: Can BW30BR-400/34i directly replace BW30-400/34i without modifying automatic backwash pipelines?

A2: Yes, fully plug-and-play compatible. BW30BR-400/34i adopts identical 8-inch outer size, 34mil feed spacer and iLEC interlocking end cap specifications as standard BW30-400/34i. No transformation of backwash valves, flow loops and automatic PLC control programs is required during equipment upgrade, which greatly shortens project construction downtime.

Q3: What maximum feed SDI value can BW30BR-400/34i tolerate for long-term automatic backwash operation?

A3: This reinforced backwash-resistant RO membrane supports stable long-term operation with feed water SDI ≤5. For raw water with SDI between 5–6, shorten daily backwash duration and increase flushing flow rate to reduce sediment accumulation on membrane surface; raw water SDI above 6 must add multi-media pre-filtration to avoid excessive abrasive sediment damaging the reinforced membrane layer during reverse flushing.

Q4: Which types of water treatment systems are not recommended to select BW30BR-400/34i, and which models are more suitable instead?

A4: Small manual intermittent water stations without regular backwash procedures do not need the reinforced backwash structure of BW30BR-400/34i, which will cause unnecessary procurement cost waste. For low-pressure energy-saving manual projects, choose BW30HR LE-400/34i; for static high organic polluted raw water without automatic backwash, select BW30FR-400/34i for better cost performance.

Q5: What standardized maintenance steps can extend the service life of BW30BR-400/34i under daily automatic backwash cycles?

A5: Set daily backwash flow rate within rated design range to avoid ultra-high flow impact;

      Perform low-pressure forward pre-flushing before formal reverse backwash to remove loose suspended sediment;

      Conduct pH 10–11 alkaline cyclic cleaning every 1–3 months for biofilm and organic dirt, pH 2–3 acid cleaning for inorganic scale;

      Keep raw water SDI value controlled below 5 via pre-filtration equipment;

      Avoid long-term continuous operation over 41bar maximum working pressure to protect reinforced membrane substrate from fatigue damage.

Related Product Links

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