Nanofiltration (NF) is a membrane filtration technology used to separate dissolved substances, organic compounds, and some ions from a liquid stream. Compared to microfiltration and ultrafiltration, NF membranes have smaller pores, typically ranging from 0.001 to 0.01 micrometers. This allows NF membranes to selectively retain dissolved substances with lower molecular mass and smaller sizes, while water and some dissolved ions can pass through.
Nanofiltration provides an effective method for removing smaller dissolved substances and organic contaminants from water, helping to improve the quality and purity of water for pharmaceutical applications. It is often used as a pre-treatment stage for further purification steps, such as reverse osmosis, to achieve even higher water quality.