Applications for Dissolved Gas Control
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors provide efficient dissolved gas control in a compact design. Capable of adding gases to or removing dissolved gases and bubbles from compatible liquid streams, these gas transfer devices utilize hollow fiber membrane technology that may help facilities around the world improve operating efficiency, performance and protect product quality. They have displaced vacuum towers, forced draft deaerators, and oxygen scavengers around the world for over 20 years. 3M supports your projects with deep technical support and service by working collaboratively to ensure solutions meet requirements and expectations.
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Series Membrane Contactors for TransMembrane ChemiSorption (TMCS)
3M Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used in a variety of gas transfer applications to strip dissolved gases from aqueous fluids. In one specific use, ammonia gas is stripped off from feed waters with high ammonia content and is directly absorbed into a reactive acid solution.
This simultaneous removal and recovery of ammonia is possible in a single device. This process is called TMCS (Transmembrane Chemisorption). 3M Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used in a variety of gas transfer applications to strip dissolved gases from aqueous fluids. In the Transmembrane Chemisorption (TMCS) process, ammonia gas is stripped from wastewater streams with a high concentration of ammonia, diffuses across the wall of a hollow fiber membrane, and is directly absorbed into a reactive acid solution. This makes simultaneous removal and recovery of ammonia possible in a single device.
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Technology Serves Many Industries
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors are used for degassing liquids around the world. They are widely used for oxygen removal from water as well as carbon dioxide removal from water. They have displaced the vacuum tower, forced draft deaerator, and oxygen scavengers around the world for over 20 years.
Microelectronics & Semiconductor
Degassing with 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors is common in the production of ultra-pure water to achieve the extremely low O₂ and CO₂ levels required by today’s semiconductor and flat panel display plants. Low O₂ levels help protect product yield and low CO₂ levels help maximize the efficiency of electrodeionization and ion exchange processes.
Liqui-Cel membrane contactors also enable precision control of the dissolved gases in ultra-pure water and other compatible wet bench processes fluids.
Beverage Production
Capable of both adding and removing dissolved gases to liquids, 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors provide a versatile, compact, in-line solution that delivers rapid deoxygenation, decarbonation, carbonation, or nitrogenation of liquids to precise concentration levels. Alcohol adjustment with low impact on flavor components and aroma is also be possible in some applications.
Applying this advanced membrane-based science in your production processes can help increase operating efficiency while maintaining or improving process consistency and stability.
Power & Steam Generation
Power plants generating steam balance cost, efficiency and reliability with environmental considerations while supplying energy to the world. Degassing water systems plays a critical role in the process that generates the energy used to heat and cool homes and businesses while protecting vital capital equipment. 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors remove dissolved O₂, CO₂, and volatile gases to industry-leading levels at low temperature and without requiring steam. With their chemical-free membrane technology, Liqui-Cel membrane contactors can help enhance the performance of water treatment systems and reduce the risk of downtime. They offer a cost-effective, easy-to-use and efficient degassing solution for power plants and other plants with boiler water systems for producing steam.
Oil & Gas
3M brings its proven reliability and performance to refineries, offshore platforms, FPSOs (Floating production storage and offloading) and other areas in the Oil & Gas industry. Oil & Gas customers are quickly learning about and adopting membrane gas transfer technology to take advantage of the same benefits that other industries have been realizing for years. Common applications include boiler feedwater deoxygenation, CO₂ removal in ion exchange, and water flooding in offshore environments.
Ink Jet Printing, Inks & Coatings
Removing gasses and bubbles from inks and other compatible fluids can improve yields, prevent defects and enhance operational performance. Inkjet printers often degas inks to prevent reduce imperfections in print quality and prevent nozzle misfires or jet-outs.
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ SP Series Membrane Contactors are widely used for removing bubbles and dissolved gases from inks, coatings and other fluids with low surface tensions where gasses in production lines negatively impact the process.
Pharmaceutical
The pharmaceutical industry requires a continuous source of purified water with a conductivity of < 1.3 µS/cm. To achieve this level of purity RO followed by EDI technology is commonly employed. However, the presence of free CO₂ may reduce EDI efficiency.
Historically, chemical dosing with NaOH or forced draft technology was used to reduce the CO₂ load. Today, 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors can be used as a compact, chemical-free alternative that operates in closed systems which may help reduce the risk of contaminants from entering the purified water stream.
Laboratory & Analytical
Dissolved gases can interfere with instrument readings and could alter the composition of solutions for analysis. With 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors water used in laboratory settings can be effectively degassed, improving measurement reliability and overall lab efficiency. Optical sensors in quality control systems can also read bubbles as defects resulting in product waste.
The small footprint of MM Series membrane contactors are easy to integrate into analytical devices or into laboratory DI water supply systems. EXF and SP series can be used for larger flow rates or compatible solutions with low surface tensions containing surfactants, organics or other solvents.
3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Key Technical Resources
Data Sheets
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Product Drawings
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Generic System P&IDs
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Operating and Technical Guides
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Publications and Case Studies
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Brochures
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