Securing Safe and Secure Water Through Ion Exchange Membranes
AGC Inc.
| Updated | December 11, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Publication date | February 16, 2018 (Posted on June 1, 2022) |
| Sector | Water Environment / Water Resources |
In various parts of the world, deterioration of the water environment is becoming increasingly serious, including water shortage due to meteorological phenomena such as droughts and the increase of salt in groundwater. At the same time, wastewater regulations for the surrounding environment have been strengthened in order to secure water of good quality. The introduction of a water purification system utilizing ion-exchange membranes to purify and desalinate water will enable a stable supply of water suitable for agricultural use and drinking water, and contribute to the improvement of human health and sanitation of the surrounding environment.
Company Overview
AGC Inc. is a glass manufacturer founded in 1907. We operate globally in four business areas: glass, electronics, chemicals, and ceramics. We occupy the world's largest share of the market for float glass, automotive glass, quartz materials for stepper lenses, and fluoropolymers. Based on our Group vision, "Look Beyond," we aim to contribute to “bring a richer, fuller world into being” through all our business and social activities, and will actively engage in the development and supply of energy-saving and energy-creating products. We have been included in several SRI indexes, including MSCI Global Sustainability Indexes and FTSE4Good Global Index.
Adaptation Initiatives
[Products and Technologies]
- Electrodialysis purification system:
- By separating and desalinating ionic substances dissolved in water using our ion exchange membrane "SELEMION™" and electricity, it is possible to secure safe agricultural water and drinking water suitable for living use.
The system features are as follows:
- Saves resource: Normally, the performance of the ion-exchange resin used in the water softening system deteriorates as the hardness components pass through. But this system does not require the process to remove the hardness components, which greatly reduces the amount of chemicals used.
- Saves energy: Compared with processes such as the conventional RO (reverse osmosis), the water utilization rate is higher and the power consumption is lower because high-pressure pumps are not required.
- Responds to unstable power conditions: The system uses direct current as the driving force and can be installed in places where it is difficult to secure a stable power source by adopting a solar panel system.
[Project Details]
In the later half of the 1990s, there was an inquiry from a public organization in Israel that was facing problems with the well water that had higher salinity levels than the WHO standard value, and we introduced the system to over 10 locations. After that, the demand for this system has increased in China, where wastewater regulations had been tightened, and it is being used in conjunction with Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) facilities to purify water at industrial facilities and recover valuable resources such as sodium sulfate. Currently, we are expanding our business in India, where water shortages and groundwater contamination caused by droughts are becoming worse.
We design the electrodialyzer, the heart of the system, and export the ion exchange membranes, our core technology. Our local engineering partner companies, manufacture the peripheral units and deliver the system to our customers including government agencies and private companies.
[Factors for Success and Challenges for Further Development]
We have been providing products that are widely accepted by building up a system that could meet the needs of local environments and legal systems. We are also striving to improve cost efficiency by increasing the ratio of local production and by building a value chain through the collection of valuable resources in China. Strengthening our cost competitiveness will be vital for our future development.
