Development and Applications of Membrane Technology in Korea

In the last 10 years, membrane science and technology in Korea have grown fast in terms of basic research and process applications. Even the first large commercial membrane plant in Korea was an ion-exchange membrane process built in 1975 for the production of table salt with an annual capacity of 150,000 tons of salt, membrane processes could not draw general interests from industry not until 1987 when a reverse osmosis plant for the production of process water with a capacity of 10,000 m$^3$/day was built by Kugdong Petroleum Co. Today, the production of water by RO over the capacity of 140,000 m$^3$/day is in operation or under construction in Korea. Consumption of ultra pure water increases sharply in recent years mainly due to the rapid expansion of semiconductor industry and the introduction of ultra high pressure boilers for power plants.