The report gives results of a study of energy conservation effects of point source recycle with high-temperature hyperfiltration (HF) in the textile industry. (HF and ultrafiltration (UF) are pressure-driven membrane processes which have potential for recycle of water, energy, and chemicals in wet finish operations.) The reuse of water, energy, and chemicals can be best achieved if separations are applied to individual point-source streams rather than to total-plant mixed effluents. Five wet processes comprise a large fraction of total textile operations and require over half of the total energy used: preparation in rope and open-width ranges, and dyeing in continuous thermosol ranges, in pressure becks, and in atmospheric becks. Plant sites were visited and data taken on operations on which to base estimates of potential energy and materials to be saved. Each process effluent was sampled and analyzed to determine which membrane (HF or UF) should be used. Two small equipment skids allowed membrane operation at the plant sites. The permeate water in each case was reusable. Estimates of energy recoverable per mass of cloth processed (kJ/kg) for each operation are: rope preparation, 2646; open-width preparation, 5766; continuous dyeing, 2449; atmospheric beck dyeing, 20,115; high-pressure beck dyeing, 3910; and low-pressure beck dyeing, 1964.

"Clemson University, Department of Mechanical Engineering." "June 1979." Includes bibliographical references (page 171).