Author: Vanessa 15 Apr. 2025     Category: Applications

Ⅰ. Definition and core characteristics

Glass Fiber Oil-Water Separation Membrane is a selective filtration material based on ultra-fine glass fiber, which is composited with surface hydrophobic/oleophilic modification and multi-layer structure. Its core features include:

  • Aperture gradient distribution: surface macropores (5–10μm) intercept solid particles, and bottom micropores (0.1–1μm) achieve precise interception of oil droplets;
  • Contact angle regulation: water contact angle >150° (super hydrophobic), oil contact angle <10° (super oleophilic);
  • Chemical stability: resistant to pH 2–12, resistant to petroleum solvents and high temperatures (≤120℃).

International standard certification:

  • Shipping industry: in compliance with IMO MEPC.107 (49) ship sewage discharge standard
  • Industrial wastewater: passed API 421, ISO 14001 environmental management system certification

Ⅱ. Separation principle and technological breakthrough of oil-water separation glass fiber filter membrane

1. Separation mechanism

The oil-water separation glass fiber filter membrane works synergistically through the triple mechanism of “screening + adsorption + coalescence”:

  • (1) Surface screening: microporous structure physically blocks >1μm oil droplets (in accordance with Stokes’ law);
  • (2) Selective adsorption: hydrophobic coating preferentially captures oil molecules through intermolecular forces (van der Waals forces);
  • (3) Dynamic coalescence: captured oil droplets merge on the membrane surface to form a continuous oil phase (coalescing efficiency >95%).
  • Technological innovation
Technical directionBreakthrough pointPerformance improvement
Nano coating technologyFluorosilane/graphene composite modificationContact angle increased from 120° to 160°
Multi-layer composite structureGradient aperture design (support layer → separation layer → protective layer) Flux increased by 300% 
Self-cleaning functionPhotocatalytic TiO₂ coating (UV trigger) Membrane fouling rate reduced by 70%

Application case: The latest series of filter membranes of a German company, using gradient glass fiber + carbon nanotube coating, achieved 99.5% oil-water separation efficiency in North Sea oilfield applications, with a service life of 7 years.

3. Global application scenarios

(1) Shipbuilding and marine engineering

  • Ballast water treatment: meet the D-2 standard of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention (oil concentration <15 ppm)
  • Oil-containing sewage in the engine room: treatment capacity of up to 10 m³/h (such as the supporting system of Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea)

(2) Industrial wastewater treatment

Industry ChallengeSolution 
Petrochemical Emulsified oil (particle size <0.5μm) High-voltage electrostatic assisted glass fiber membrane (emulsification + filtration)
Food processingHigh COD animal and plant oil wastewaterGrease-resistant filter membrane (PTFE reinforced)
Metal processingCutting fluid recovery Cross-flow filtration system (recovery rate >90%)

(3) Emergency environmental protection field

  • Oil spill accident treatment: OSRL (Oil Spill Response Ltd.) in the United States uses mobile glass fiber membrane equipment with a treatment rate of 50 m³/h;
  • Soil remediation: Combined with extraction technology, remove floating oil in groundwater (Deltares Institute solution in the Netherlands).

(4) Industrial oil mist treatment

Glass fiber filter membrane technology has demonstrated excellent performance in the field of industrial oil mist treatment. Through the innovative combination of gradient oleophobic/hydrophilic modified fiber layer and electrostatic enhanced coalescence technology, it can efficiently capture 0.1-10μm oil mist particles (efficiency 99.98%), while achieving low pressure drop (<150Pa) and long life (18 months). This material has been successfully used in high-demand scenarios such as automotive manufacturing and aerospace. It saves 50% energy compared to traditional technologies and achieves more than 95% of cutting fluid recovery, helping companies achieve the three goals of occupational health protection (meeting OSHA standards), environmental compliance and cost reduction and efficiency improvement at the same time, becoming a technical benchmark for industrial oil mist treatment.

Trenntech has created a new paradigm in the field of oil-water separation by deeply integrating the precision filtration characteristics of glass fiber filter membranes with its independently developed affinity coalescence technology. The system not only meets the world’s most stringent environmental standards (such as IMO 2023 new regulations), and through intelligent and low-carbon design, it helps industrial users achieve:

  • Operation cost optimization: energy consumption is reduced by 40%, and maintenance costs are reduced by 60%;
  • Resource value mining: oil recovery purity>99%, and reuse rate is increased by 50%;
  • Compliance risk management: 100% pass sudden environmental inspections.

Contact Trenntech now to obtain glass fiber filter membrane industry information.

Vanessa

My name is Vanessa, and I am a content writer specializing in corporate content creation. With more than 10 years of writing experience, I am committed to providing companies with high-quality, impactful content to help them stand out in a competitive market. My background covers multiple industries, including technology, finance, marketing, etc. In the process, I have accumulated rich knowledge and skills, and can deeply understand the needs of audiences in different fields, so as to create more targeted articles and content. I am good at writing blog posts, white papers, case studies, product descriptions, etc., and I am familiar with SEO optimization strategies to ensure that the content gets good exposure in search engines. At the same time, I also have good project management skills and can complete high-quality works within a tight time frame. I believe that high-quality content can not only convey information, but also build customer trust and brand image.