Slime Control Agent for RO Membranes
ORPERSION E266 Series
July 3, 2014
New slime control agent with chlorine-free oxidizing agent
developed, sales commence
Summary
Organo Corporation has launched sales of a slime control agent featuring a chlorine-free oxidizing agent. This highly stable, safe product is aimed at cooling water processing and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane processing markets.
This chemical is the product of independent research by Organo, and was commercialized through access to usage rights for prior art held by global water processing chemical firm Nalco Water (Ecolab Group).
The main ingredient is a new, high-safety oxidizing agent registered by Organo under the Chemicals Act (Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, Etc.), rather than an existing chemical. While offering extremely high biocide and algicide performance, it is less corrosive on metals and less strenuous on RO membranes when compared with hypochlorite, also an oxidizing agent.
Organo has also commercialized a compound processing chemical under the new brand, the ORBLADE J Series for cooling water processing. This series features the same slime control agent, along with anti-corrosion agents and degrading agents.
This brand will join Organo’s product lineup for RO membrane water processing, alongside its existing ORPERSION E Series brand.
Development Background
Traditional, standard slime control agents consist of organic biocides. These products possess a degree of biocidal effectiveness, but featured limited algicide and film stripping effects against algae. Furthermore, while inorganic chlorine-based oxidizing agents are inexpensive and highly biocidal, as typified by hypochlorite, they are also easily deactivated in products, highly corrosive toward metals and have issues with RO membrane weathering. Although there are other stabilized, chlorine-based compound oxidizing agents in use, the oxidizing and biocidal effects of some of these products are insufficient. Given this, Organo sought to develop a slime control agent that would resolve these issues with existing chemicals through safety, high biocidal and algicidal effectiveness, low corrosion and reduced RO membrane weathering.
Product Features
- High biocidal and algicidal performance, incredibly rapid action
- The inclusion of an oxidizing slime control agent results in high biocidal effectiveness and extremely fast action.
It also has high processing effectiveness against algae and Legionella bacteria, with the ability to strip slime and biofilm from cooling towers and RO membranes. - High stability and effects over a wide pH range
- It is rarely deactivated in chemical tanks or water for processing as the effective ingredient is even more stable than hypochlorite, making stable processing possible.
This product also remains active and demonstrates incredible biocidal effectiveness, even in the weak alkaline range (around eight to nine pH) where hypochlorite’s biocidal performance drops significantly. - Consists of ingredients with low environmental impact
- This product does not qualify as a designated chemical under the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law (PRTR Law), and does not contain regulated pollutants.
Furthermore, as the product does not raise TOC or COD for processed water as organic slime control agents do, it does not contribute significantly to environmental loading. - Reduces metal corrosion and RO membrane impact
- Characteristics of the product include low corrosion on the iron- and copper-containing metal used in pipes and holding towers as well as reduced RO membrane wear, both when compared with hypochlorite.
Comparison of algicidal, biofilm removal, and biocidal performance of new cooling water processing agent ORBLADE
(Internal experimental data using simulated water) 
Applications
Cooling water processing, RO membranes, biocide, deodorizer, and more.
Sales Commence
July 1, 2014
Future Initiatives
Organo is expanding sales across industries, through both its proprietary water processing chemical sales network and a business partnership with Katayama Nalco, Inc. as of July 2013.
Furthermore, Organo plans to work toward objective development utilizing the product’s superior performance and characteristics, and expand into other fields.
Organo estimates that sales for the first fiscal year will total 100 million yen, including cooling water processing and RO membrane processing products. Sales are estimated to reach 1 billion yen in FY2016.
*Press release content is accurate to the time of release.
Please note that content is subject to change without prior notice.
August 26, 2015
Stabilized hypobromous acid-based slime control agent for reverse osmosis membranes obtains NSF certification
Sales expansion progresses for high-safety slime control agent for reverse osmosis membranes
This release serves to provide notice that Organo Corporation has obtained NSF certification for ORPERSION E2661, a stabilized hypobromous acid-based slime control agent which began sales in July 2014. This certification was obtained from the third-party organization NSF International, which is recognized as an international standard for safety and sanitation. This product is classified under “NSF/ANSI Standard 60 – Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals” (NSF60 hereafter). With this certification serving to acknowledge the safety of ORPERSION E2661 internationally, Organo will be proposing and promoting product sales within Japan and now abroad, targeting the seawater desalination field and various industrial applications.
*Registered name of certification is Orpersion E2661.
*ORPERSION E2661 meets drinking water chemical evaluation standards defined in “Testing Guidelines for Drinking Water Chemical Evaluation” (Water Supply Division, Health Services Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).
About ORPERSION E2661
Approximately eight in ten issues with reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are due to fouling, and microbes are the cause in the majority of cases (bio-fouling).
Accordingly, bio-fouling prevention is often raised as a key point in the efficient operation of RO systems.
Previously, organic biocides were the standard slime control agents. While these products possessed a degree of biocidal effectiveness, however, they also lowered processed water quality and had limited slime-clearing effectiveness.
Furthermore, while inorganic chlorine-based oxidizing agents are inexpensive and highly biocidal, as typified by hypochlorite, they are also easily deactivated in products over time and can cause RO membrane weathering.
There are other stabilized, chlorine-based compound oxidizing agents that do not weather RO membranes heavily characteristically. These products, however, did not perform satisfactorily against bio-fouling due to insufficient oxidizing and biocidal effects.
Given this, Organo sought to develop a slime control agent that would resolve these issues with existing chemicals by developing slime control agent ORPERSION E2661, which features safety, high biocidal and slime-clearing effectiveness and low wear on RO membranes.
The main ingredient in newly NSF60 certified ORPERSION E2661 is a new, high-safety oxidizing agent registered by Organo under the Chemicals Act (Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, Etc). While offering extremely high biocide and slime-clearing performance not seen with conventional organic biocides, it is also characterized by low wear on RO membranes.
Its combination of biofilm degradation (instant action) similar to that of hypochlorite and biofilm permeability (ongoing effects) equivalent to that of chlorine compound oxidizing agents makes effective RO water processing possible.
With its various distinct characteristics, usage cases have expanded into RO equipment, in use for ultrapure water production facilities and waste water collection facilities at semiconductor and liquid crystal manufacturing sites.
In addition to safety (chemical and processed water quality), the merits of ORPERSION E2661 include extended RO membrane lifespans, reduced frequency or full elimination of CIP work that calls for RO equipment stoppages, reduced maintenance costs and achievement of continuous operations.*
*CIP stands for Cleaning In Place, and refers to an automated system of cleaning without disassembling facilities
| Damage to RO membrane | |
|---|---|
| Hypochlorite (conventional inorganic oxidizer) | Major |
| ORPERSION E2661 | Minor |
Future Initiatives
With the acquisition of NSF60 certification, Organo will move forward with sales proposals for ORPERSION E2661 across all industries.
Organo aims to expand sales in domestic and foreign markets, particularly in the industrial fields of seawater desalination for drinking water, food and beverages and farming. The company targets sales of 500 million yen for FY2016, and 1 billion yen for FY2018.
*Press release content is accurate to the time of release.
Please note that content is subject to change without prior notice.