Part 4: Treatment of effluents from water desalination stages for reuse and balance of the new technological concept for water desalination

Within the framework of our new technological concept for the desalination of surface water to industrial water, the production of a mixed acid and a mixed base by electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) from effluents was one main objective of the study. After optimized pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO) or electrodialysis reversal (EDR) concentrates and regenerates from cation and anion exchangers can be used as feed solutions for the production of an acid and a base by EDBM. The products obtained fulfill the requirements for ion exchanger regeneration chemicals. A material balance of the new technological concept for typical river water shows that — in comparison with conventional methods for the production of desalinated water — there is less raw water consumption, less wastewater is generated and fewer commercial chemicals are needed.