Industries / Fine Chemicals
RECOVER MORE. WASTE LESS.
When conventional thermal separation reaches its limits, DeltaMem provides an efficient alternative. Our hybrid process solutions combine pervaporation with distillation, reduce energy consumption and minimise waste generation.
Energy efficiency for demanding separation processes
In the production of fine chemicals – from high-performance fibres to cosmetics – reducing energy demand has become a key competitive factor. Many of these processes benefit from the recovery and reuse of solvents such as isopropanol (IPA), ethanol (EtOH), THF, methyl acetate or trimethyl borate. Others, such as esterification, require the efficient removal of reaction water. Our integrated separation systems are designed to address these challenges while minimising energy consumption and plant footprint.
To further improve efficiency, we optimise our process designs for the integration of heat pump technology wherever appropriate. This reduces primary energy demand, lowers operating costs and supports more sustainable production.
Process intensification through hybrid systems
DeltaMem delivers compact and sustainable solvent recovery systems by combining distillation with membrane technology (process intensification).
Dehydration
We selectively remove water or methanol from solvents enables their direct reuse.
Azeotropes separation
Our membrane technology enables the separation of azeotropic mixtures where conventional distillation reaches its practical limits.
Reaction water
Our systems selectively remove reaction water generated during processes such as esterification, improving reaction efficiency and product yield.
Compliance
Our systems are engineered to comply with the ATEX Directive and the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), meeting the stringent safety and regulatory requirements of the fine chemical industry.
Process validation before scale-up
Every project begins with laboratory validation of your specific separation task. As the fine chemicals industry often involves complex mixtures, verifying membrane compatibility and long-term stability is an essential part of the development process.
Our test programme combines evaporation, distillation and pervaporation under representative operating conditions to evaluate chemical resistance and confirm the required separation performance. The resulting process data provides a reliable basis for plant design, reduces technical risk and supports successful industrial scale-up.
Proven industrial applications
Our hybrid systems are successfully used in industrial production to solve complex separation challenges and enhancing process efficiency. The following examples from the fibre and biopolymer industries demonstrate how integrated process engineering enables solvent recovery, waste reduction and lower operating costs.
IPA regeneration in fibre production
A fibre manufacturer uses isopropanol (IPA) as drying medium. A DeltaMem hybrid plant has been successfully regenerating this IPA for more than five years, by removing water and other impurities. This makes fibre production more sustainable and reduces the costs of purchasing fresh solvent.
Economical separation at 70% water content
A biopolymer production process generated a stream containing approximately 70% water that could not be separated using conventional distillation because of azeotrope formation and was therefore disposed of. DeltaMem developed a continuous process that reduces the water content to below 10%. Subsequent rectification recovers the high-value solvents.
Frequently asked questions
Which certifications does DeltaMem provide for the fine chemical industry?
Our plants are designed to meet the requirements of the ATEX Directive and the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED). This ensures safe and reliable operation in hazardous areas and in processes involving pressurised equipment, while supporting compliance with the regulatory requirements of the fine chemical industry.
How does DeltaMem ensure membrane stability?
Before designing an industrial plant, we validate membrane compatibility, separation performance and chemical resistance in our laboratory using your original process media. Where required, our test programme combines evaporation, distillation and pervaporation under representative operating conditions to verify long-term stability and provide a reliable basis for plant design.
Why choose a hybrid plant instead of a conventional distillation process?
A hybrid plant is an example of process intensification, combining the strengths of different separation technologies within a single integrated system. For complex separation tasks, this approach often results in a more compact, energy-efficient and sustainable solution than distillation alone. By applying each technology where it performs most effectively, we optimise both process performance and overall operating efficiency.
Does DeltaMem integrate heat pumps into its process design?
Yes. We tailor the process design to enable the integration of heat pumps, further increasing overall energy efficiency. This reduces primary energy demand, lowers operating costs and supports more sustainable plant operation.