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Membrane Processes
Membrane Processes
1. Concentrate
2. Purify a dilute (aqueous or non aqueous)
1. Stucture membrane
2. Pore size
3. Pore size distribution
PORE SIZE
MICROFILTRATION
Is the membrane process which most closely resembles conventional coarse
filtration.
Pore size:
J A P
r 2 P
J
8 x
2. Streching
3. Track - etching
4. Phase inversion
Process
Porosity
Sintering
Low / medium
Narrow / wide
Stretching
Medium / high
Narrow / wide
Track-etching
Low
Narrow
Phase inversion
High
Narrow / wide
These various techniques allow to prepare microfiltration membranes from virtually all
kinds of materials of which polymers and ceramics are the most important.
HYDROPHOBIC POLYMERIC MEMBRANES
CERAMIC MEMBRANES
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)
Polyproylene (PP)
Polyethylene (PE)
Cellulase esters
Polycarbonate (PC)
Polysulfone / poly(ether sulfone)
(PS/PES)
Aliphatic polyamide (PA)
Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
Alumina (Al2O3)
Zirconia (ZrO2)
Titania (TiO2)
Silicium carbide (SiC)
FLUX
DECLINE
NEED
NEED
Membranes :
(a)Symmetric porous
Thickness :
10 150 um
Pore sizes :
0,05 10 um
Driving force :
Separation principles :
Sieving mechanism
Membrane material :
Main application :
Analytical applications
Sterilisation (food, pharmaceutical)
Ultrapure water (semiconductor)
ULTRAFILTRATION
Is a membrane process whose nature lies between nanofiltration and
microfiltration
Pore size:
UF is typically used to retain macromolecules and colloids from a solution. UF and
MF can oth be consider as porous membrane where rejection is determined by the
size and shape of the solutes relatives to the pore size in he membrane and where
the transport of solvent is directly proportional to the applied pressure.
In fact both UF and MF involve similar membrane processes based on the same
separation principle. However, an important difference is that UF membrane have
an asymmetric structure with a much denser top layer (small pore size and lower
surface porosity) and consequently a much higher hydrodynamic resistance.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)
Polyacrylonitrile
Polyimide
Polyetheretherketone
Aliphatic polyamides
Cellulosics
INORGANIC (CERAMIC)
Alumina (Al2O3)
Zirconia (ZrO2)
2 PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
3 METALLURGY
4 CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
5 TEXTILE INDUSTRY
6 LEATHER INDUSTRY
7 PAPER INDUSTRY
Membranes :
Asymmetric porous
Thickness :
Pore sizes :
1 100 nm
Driving force :
Separation principles :
Sieving mechanism
Membrane material :
Main application :
Salt solution
Pure water
The pressure used in reverse osmosis range from 20 100 bar and ini nanofiltration
from about 10 20 bar, which much higher than those used in ultrafitration
Both process are considered as one process since the basic principles are the same.
NF membranes are the same as RO membranes only the network structure is more
open.
Comparison of retention characteristic between nanofiltration (NF) and reverswe
osmosis (RO) are listened :
Solute
RO
NF
>98%
<50%
>99%
>90%
>99%
<99%
>90%
>50%
0-99%
0-50%
Both toplayer and sublayer consists of the same material. These membrane are
prepare by phase inversion technique. The polymeric material from which the
membrane it to be prepared is soluble in a solvent or a solvent mixture.
An important class of
asymmetric
membranes are :
Polybenzimidazoles, polybenzimidazolones,
polyamidedehydrazide, and polyimides
The second type of structure frequently used in RO while most of the NF membrane are
in fact composite membrane.
In such membranes the top layer and sublayer are composed of different polymeric
materials so that each layer can be optimised separately.
The first stage is the are preparation of the porous sublayer. Important criteria forthis
sublayer are surface porosity and pore size distribution and asymmetric ultrafiltration
membranes are often used. Different methods have been employed for placing a thin
dense layer on top of this sublayer :
dip coating
In-situ polymerisation
Interfacial polymerisation
Plasma polymerisation
RO
NF
When a high retention is required for NaCl with high feed concentrations reverse
osmosis reverse osmosis is the preferred process. In other cases with much
lower concentrations, divalent ions and micro solutes with molecular weight
nanofiltration is the preferred process. Since the water permeability is (much)
higher in nanofiltration the capital cost for a certain application will be lower.
Membranes :
Composite
Thickness :
Sublayer : 150 um
Toplayer : 1 um
Pore sizes :
< 2 nm
Driving force :
Separation principles :
Solution diffusion
Membrane material :
Main application :
Membranes :
Asymmetric or composite
Thickness :
Sublayer : 100 um
Toplayer : 1 um
Pore sizes :
< 2 nm
Driving force :
Separation principles :
Solution-diffusion
Membrane material :
Main application :
Microfiltration
Ultrafiltration
Nanofiltration / reverse
osmosis
Separation of particles
Separation of
macromolecules (bacteris,
yeasts)
Symmetric structure
Assymetric structure
Asymmetric structure
Asymmetric structure
Thickness of actual
separating layer : 0,1 1 um
Separation based on
differences in solubility and
diffusivity