Water Purification Technology
Polymer Division of National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India has developed a water purifier that requires no electricity, which can be set up in 10 minutes in the remotest areas, and that filters out even viruses. The filter has immense potential in rural and disaster-prone areas. The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has come up with a new membrane filter that ensures the quality of the drinking water. A unique aspect of the ultra filtration (UF) membrane is that not only does it clean the water of all suspended particulate matter and bacteria, it also gets rid of harmful viruses. The membrane technology, which was granted a US patent earlier this year, does not depend on electricity, unlike other water filters. It can be used in remote rural areas as well as disaster zones where safe drinking water is not easily accessible. The ultra filtration membrane is being marketed under the brand name ‘Purioin’. One version of the membrane, Purioin XL, that costs Rs 18,000, has been designed specifically for rural application. The membrane is fitted with a hand pump and can purify 150 -200 litres of water in an hour, without using electricity. This easy-to-deploy rural version of the filter weighs just 18 kg and can be fitted in 10 minutes using any available water source. The principle of the village level filtration unit is as follows: A mechanically-operated pump circulates water from a ground-level tank to the membrane module, at a given pressure, in a tangential direction so that any large molecules or particles are pushed ahead and do not block the pores of the membrane. Pure water subsequently flows out. Purioin is available in two other versions -- Purioin Plus, that costs INR 7,500 and filters one litre of water per minute, and Purioin Elite that can filter two litres of water per minute and costs INR 10,500. Contact Details Subhash Devi Membrane Filters (India) Pvt. Ltd A-3, Saket, 45/1, Next to Patwardhan Baug, Karve Nagar, Pune – 411 052, India Tel: 020- 56241874 / 09822099528 E-mail: membranefilters@vsnl.net / subhash.devi@usa.net
Sector: Disaster Management and Mitigation
Country: India
Area of Application: Remote rural areas as well as disaster zones where safe drinking water is not easily accessible.
Keywords: Purioin, water purifying technology, ultra membrane filter technology
Advantages: 1. High water permeability 2. Low fouling 3. The ability to reject undesirable species in the water (worms, spores, bacteria, viruses, etc) 4. Appropriate for diaster prone areas and remote villages where electricity is unavailable 5. Portable size The technology has thus proven highly appropriate for extreme circumstances, in regions where the quality of potable water is poor and electricity simply not available. The filtration units are portable and can easily be carried to remote areas.
Environmental aspects: Addressing Water Pollution Issue
Development Status: Commercial Prototype
Legal Protection: Patent
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Transfer Terms: Equipment Supply
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Contact Person: UN-ESCAP/APCTT
Address: C-2 Qutab Institutional Area
City: New Delhi
Country: India
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