Italian Client Purchases IntegraTec XP 51 IG Compact UF Membrane Module with 0.03 μm PVDF Hollow Fiber
November 11, 2026
Project Overview
A water treatment engineering company in northern Italy selected the IntegraTec™ XP 51 IG compact UF membrane module, built with 0.03 μm pore size PVDF hollow fiber technology, for a drinking-water and industrial reuse project. The client needed a compact, high-integrity ultrafiltration barrier that could be retrofitted into an existing skid without expanding the plant footprint.
Customer Background and Project Challenge
The client designs and commissions water treatment plants for municipal drinking water and light industrial process water across northern Italy. Its new project required a filtration stage that could handle surface water with variable turbidity and periodic biological load, while meeting three hard constraints:
- Footprint limitation. The treatment room was already built, so any new membrane stage had to fit into a narrow skid envelope.
- Absolute barrier performance. Downstream disinfection alone was no longer considered sufficient; a physical barrier against Cryptosporidium and Giardia was required.
- Chemical compatibility. The plant runs regular chemically enhanced backwash, so membrane material had to tolerate oxidants and cleaning agents without embrittlement.
Selected Product Configuration
| Item | Specification | Benefit to the client |
|---|---|---|
| Model | IntegraTec™ XP 51 IG compact UF membrane module | Compact form factor for retrofit into existing skid |
| Pore size | 0.03 μm | Tight physical barrier against bacteria, protozoa and turbidity |
| Membrane material | PVDF hollow fiber | High mechanical strength, oxidant and chemical resistance |
| Module type | Compact, integrated design | Reduced piping, fast installation and easier servicing |
| Operation mode | Dead-end filtration with backwash and CEB | Stable flux with low energy demand |
Why 0.03 μm PVDF Hollow Fiber
The specification of 0.03 μm pore size PVDF hollow fiber was the decisive technical choice of the project. Three reasons stood out:
- Pathogen retention without over-filtration. A 0.03 μm nominal pore provides a reliable barrier against protozoan cysts and the vast majority of bacteria, while keeping transmembrane pressure low — no unnecessary energy penalty.
- PVDF durability. Polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fibres resist chlorine, caustic and acidic cleaning regimes far better than many alternative polymers, which protects the module through years of chemically enhanced backwash cycles.
- Hollow fiber hydraulics. The fibre geometry delivers high packing density, so a compact module achieves a large membrane area — exactly what a space-constrained plant room requires.
Commissioning and Operating Outcomes
| Parameter | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Installation | Module integrated into the existing skid without civil works |
| Permeate turbidity | Consistently low, providing a stable barrier upstream of disinfection |
| Flux stability | Maintained through backwash and CEB cycles under variable feed turbidity |
| Footprint | Compact module layout kept the treatment room within design limits |
| Maintenance | Routine backwash plus periodic CEB; no membrane replacement in the evaluation period |
Client Feedback
"The compact format solved our space problem, and the 0.03 μm PVDF hollow fiber gives us the barrier performance our municipal client demanded. It has behaved exactly as specified."
Conclusion
For retrofit projects and space-constrained plants, the IntegraTec™ XP 51 IG compact UF membrane module with 0.03 μm PVDF hollow fiber delivers a rare combination: absolute-class filtration integrity, chemical robustness and a footprint small enough to drop into an existing skid. This Italian installation shows how correct membrane selection — pore size, polymer and module format — determines whether an upgrade is a simple retrofit or a full civil rebuild.
If you are planning a drinking-water or reuse upgrade and need help matching module count, flux and backwash strategy to your water quality, send us your feed water analysis and target capacity.