Seawater desalination
Potable or industrial water production from open-intake or well-source seawater.
YiFu Trading
Seawater RO Membrane Elements: SW Series
SW spiral-wound membrane elements for seawater and selected high-salinity desalination duties, supplied after feed and system review.
Product overview
SW formats from 2514 to 8040 for high-salinity duties
YiFu coordinates SW seawater reverse-osmosis membrane supply through qualified Chinese manufacturing partners. The verified range covers 2514, 2521, 2540, 4014, 4021, 4040 and 8040 formats, with SW-4040 and SW-8040 available for common system and replacement inquiries.
Seawater selection cannot be based on element size or nominal rejection alone. Feed salinity and ionic analysis, temperature, required permeate quality, recovery, intake and pretreatment, array, pressure-vessel interfaces and operating history must be reviewed together.
Application fit
Typical roles and use cases
These are potential roles, not guaranteed performance claims. The complete process and verified product limits must be reviewed.
Marine and island systems
Compact desalination duties where feed variation and service access must be considered.
SWRO replacement
Cross-check of current model, pressure vessel, array and operating history.
Selection
What needs to be confirmed
- Feed salinity and ionic analysis
- Temperature range and seasonal variation
- Intake type and biological loading
- Pretreatment and SDI target
- Permeate quality including boron objective
- Design recovery and array configuration
- Operating pressure and energy recovery
- Materials and corrosion management
Important
Use approved supplier data
Do not select SWRO elements using only nominal rejection. Use a validated system projection and approved product data.
Technical parameters
Specifications to confirm before supply
| Parameter | Published value | Selection note |
|---|---|---|
| Verified SW formats | 2514 / 2521 / 2540 / 4014 / 4021 / 4040 / 8040 | Use the original complete model identifier in inquiries and orders. |
| Priority project formats | SW-4040 / SW-8040 | Confirm vessel, connectors, seals, exact variant and available installation clearance. |
| Supplier seawater test basis | 32,000 ± 100 mg/L NaCl; 800 psi (5.52 MPa); 25 ± 1°C; pH 7–8 | Published yield and rejection are laboratory references, not site guarantees. |
| Maximum operating pressure | 1,200 psi (8.27 MPa) | Supplier maximum limit; it is not a recommended operating setpoint. |
| Maximum inlet temperature | 45°C | Use the actual temperature range in the system projection. |
| Reference pH limits | Continuous operation 3–10; chemical cleaning 2–12 | A pH range is not a cleaning procedure; the complete method requires approval. |
| Pretreatment reference limits | Turbidity ≤1.0 NTU; SDI15 ≤5; free chlorine ≤0.1 mg/L | Intake-specific pretreatment and a validated projection are required. |
| Maximum pressure drop per element | 15 psi (0.1 MPa) | Review the complete array, fouling condition and operating flow. |
Verified supplier reference data
Available SW membrane element sizes
The table retains the supplier's GPD, salt-rejection and element-recovery definitions. It does not promise drinking-water compliance or site output.
| Original model | Effective area | Average yield | Salt rejection | Element-table recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW-2514 | 6.5 ft² (0.6 m²) | 150 GPD | 99.5% | 4% |
| SW-2521 | 12 ft² (1.1 m²) | 270 GPD | 98.5% | 4% |
| SW-2540 | 28 ft² (2.6 m²) | 600 GPD | 99.5% | 8% |
| SW-4014 | 22 ft² (2.0 m²) | 500 GPD | 99.8% | 8% |
| SW-4021 | 33 ft² (3.1 m²) | 750 GPD | 99.8% | 8% |
| SW-4040 | 90 ft² (8.4 m²) | 1,600 GPD | 99.8% | 8% |
| SW-8040 | 400 ft² (37 m²) | 7,500 GPD | 99.8% | 8% |
Average yield is measured under the supplier's seawater test conditions; salt rejection is not stated as a minimum guarantee, and element-table recovery is not system recovery. SW-8040-440 is not listed in the verified supplier range.
SWRO replacement review
Match the membrane to the desalination duty
Provide feed salinity and ionic analysis, temperature, required permeate flow and quality, any boron-specific objective, current model and quantity, vessel and array details, pretreatment, operating history and destination country.
A nominal 4040 or 8040 format does not prove interchangeability. Review the SW-4040 specification and replacement checklist before requesting a cross-brand proposal.
Selection boundary
Keep brackish-water and seawater data separate
Do not substitute BW, LP, ULP or XLE test conditions for the SW series. Seawater temperature, salinity, target quality, ageing and array recovery can materially change actual permeate flow and quality.
Review RO pretreatment risks →FAQ
Common selection questions
Can a brackish-water RO membrane be used for seawater?
Seawater duties normally require elements designed for higher salinity and pressure. A system projection is necessary.
Is one RO pass sufficient?
It depends on feed salinity, temperature and product-water objectives such as boron. Some projects require a second pass or pH adjustment.
What pretreatment is required?
The answer depends on intake and water quality. Media filtration, UF, coagulation or other steps may be used alongside chemical controls.
Send your application for a preliminary review
Share water data, flow, treatment objective or an existing membrane model. YiFu will coordinate the next technical questions.
SWRO model selection
Selection requires feed analysis, salinity, temperature, target permeate quality, recovery, pressure-vessel format, array and a current manufacturer projection.
Replacement and datasheet review
Send the existing membrane model, vessel format and operating history. Common 4040 or 8040 labels are not assigned to YiFu supply until the requested product range and current datasheet are confirmed.
Quotation and export support
YiFu coordinates confirmed specifications, OEM or private-label feasibility where actually available, quotation, technical documents and export delivery with qualified manufacturing partners.
Review seawater RO pretreatment →Desalination procurement path
Connect SWRO selection to the complete desalination duty
The element grade, pretreatment and array must be reviewed together; a nominal 4040 or 8040 format alone does not define a replacement.
Industrial or seawater feed?
Use the industrial RO page for lower-salinity process-water and reuse duties, and keep high-salinity desalination selection on this page.
Compare industrial RO membranes →Pretreatment before SWRO
Intake type, particles, colloids, organics, biology, oxidants and scaling risks determine the pretreatment strategy.
Review RO pretreatment →Ceramic filtration option
For suitable high-solids duties, review what ceramic filtration can and cannot control before reverse osmosis.
Read the ceramic-before-RO guide →