Company Biography

Rochem provides equipment and services for the recovery of high-quality water and the removal of toxic contaminants from industrial and process waste water streams.

Rochem's Vision is to be a primary source of key process separation technologies and services for ships at sea, refiners, chemical manufacturers and other companies with difficult-to-handle petroleum/petrochemical waste water streams. Rochem will endeavor to combine innovative process engineering strategies with synergistic technologies to provide customers the most beneficial, cost-effective system options for meeting their needs.

Corporate Profile

The ROCHEM group of companies was founded in 1973. Its  vision was to serve the needs of marine customers in the marine chemical and  maintenance field in all major ports worldwide. Today, marine installations  exist in over 50 countries. Additionally, ROCHEM has expanded to include  numerous non-marine industrial projects.

ROCHEM first introduced Reverse Osmosis  into its product line in 1982 when in began marketing its G4 module. The  introduction followed licensing of the G4's plate technology by GKSS. At the  time, ship owners were having operational difficulties with competitive RO  technologies. This led ROCHEM RO WASSERBEHANDLUNG  GMBH to embark upon a research and development program to produce a membrane  module. In 1986, the project resulted in the Disc Tube (DT) Module Technology  that received worldwide patent coverage.

ROCHEM'S DT Module uses a unique membrane  module construction that results in an open channel, unrestricted and fully  turbulent feed water cross-flow system configuration. The turbulence prevents  suspended solids carried in the feed water from being trapped or settling inside  the membrane module. As a result, infrequent and highly successful maintenance  cleaning of the membrane is achieved using a standard inbuilt cleaning system.  Unlike other RO systems, the need for pre-treatment of seawater feed with acid  or other chemicals is eliminated. The system guarantees full performance, high  reliability and greatly extended membrane life.

The ROCHEM RO plants are shipboard system favorites. Over 1200 installations with varying  capacities ranging from small vessels to the very largest, including the NATO  Navies, are in daily use all over the world. Their modular construction allows  the flexibility to make system design and installation relatively easy on any  vessel. Certified by all well-known Classification Societies, the systems  provide fully automatic operation and are easy to maintain.

ROCHEM is unique because of its  multi-faceted approach to effective filtration. The ROCHEM GROUP combines the  following to produce outstanding systems:

• Research and development
• Technical know-how
• Patented products
• Module manufacturing
• System design and engineering
• System installation
• Direct contact with the end user

The expertise gained from its experience in  the marine industry has enabled ROCHEM to design and build RO Systems for other  applications such as industrial plants and hotels. In 1989, ROCHEM entered the  industrial leachate (liquid toxic waste) treatment market for landfill  locations, one of which was Schonberg, the largest waste disposal site in  Europe. Due to its DT Module Technology and advanced plant technology, ROCHEM  quickly became a leader in the market reaching over $40 million in sales with  150 employees in 21 countries. 

At the beginning of 1998, PALL Corp. USA,  one of the largest suppliers of filtration equipment in the world, acquired the  right to market certain ROCHEM products including its DT technology. PALL  established PALL ROCHEM WASSERTECHNIK, headquartered in Hamburg, to promote and  sell RO systems worldwide.

Meanwhile, the ROCHEM Group was using the  knowledge and experience gained through its leachate installations to develop  new REVERSE OSMOSIS, NANOFILTRATION and ULTRAFILTRATION technologies. Existing ultrafiltration systems on the market were beset with  problems in attempting to treat wastewater containing fouling impurities and  suspended solids. It developed its new-patented membrane module to add to its  line of products. Known as the FM MODULE, this new  technology can address special requirements such as the treatment of Grey Water  on ships to meet environmental discharge requirements. The FM Module is also  used to treat and convert surface water to drinking water on shore.

The ROCHEM Group established the ROCHEM UF SYSTEME GmbH, located in Hamburg in 1998, to  promote and sell BIOFILT^®, a newly designed BIOREACTOR. Its special treatment technology is intended  to replace conventional aerobic biological sewage plants aboard ships. Based on  a high-density biological process combined with a UF Membrane System, BIOFILT  will produce a pure, clean discharge without requiring additional chlorination  or other chemical treatment. By treating all wastewater and sewage water on  sea-going ships with BIOFILT before discharge overboard, marine life and  organisms will be protected and a truly "Environmentally Sound Ship"  is achievable.

ROCHEM products are available through a  number of subsidiary companies and agents worldwide.

Rochem
922 N.E. 13th Street  •   Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
954-523-6299 Phone  •  954-523-6291 Fax


Copyright © 2000 Rochem. All rights  reserved. All other trademarks are properties of their respective companies.