MEMBRANES USED FOR MEMBRANE DISTILLATION

1. Commercial MD Membranes1:

Active Layer Liquid

and Entry
Pore Size
Product Manufacturer Base Pressure Sources1
(nm)
Support (LEP)
Material (kPa)
Alkhudhiri, Darwish,
TF200 Gelman/Pall PTFE/PP 0.2 282
and Hilal (2012)
Alkhudhiri et al.
TF450 Gelman/Pall PTFE/PP 0.45 138
(2012)
Alkhudhiri et al.
TF1000 Gelman/Pall PTFE/PP 1 48
(2012)
Pall Corporation
Emflon Pall PTFE/PET 0.02 1585
(2010)
Pall Corporation
Emflon Pall PTFE/PET 0.2 551
(2010)
Pall Corporation
Emflon Pall PTFE/PET 0.45 206
(2010)
Pall Corporation
Emflon Pall PTFE/PET 1 137
(2010)
Alkhudhiri et al.
FGLP Millipore PTFE/PET 0.2 280
(2012)
Alkhudhiri et al.
FHLP Millipore PTFE/PE 0.5 124
(2012)
Gore filtration Alkhudhiri et al.
Gore PTFE/PP 0.2 368
media (2012)
Gore filtration Alkhudhiri et al.
Gore PTFE/PP 0.45 288
media (2012)
Gore filtration Alkhudhiri et al.
Gore PTFE/PP 0.2 463
media (2012)
Alkhudhiri et al.
GVHP Millipore PVDF/none 0.22 204
(2012)
Alkhudhiri et al.
HVHP Millipore PVDF/none 0.45 105
(2012)
Membrane
PTFE/PP 1 24
Solutions

GE PTFE/PP 0.22 154

GE PTFE/PP 0.45 91
GE PTFE/PP 1 48
Liqui-cell
Membrana PP 0.2E0.4 N/A Membrana (2014)
modules

Note: PP, PE, and PET, respectively, correspond to poly(propylene), poly(ethylene), and poly(ester). The contact angle on
PVDF and PTFE was reported to be 90 and 140 , for surface energies of 30.3 mN/m and 9 E20 mM/m at 20 C
(http://www.surface-tension.de/solid-surface-energy.htm); Solid surface energy data (SFE) for common polymers). SOURCE:
Camacho et al. (2013).
2. Emerging Membrane Materials for Membrane Distillation:
A. Inorganic based Membranes:
i) Ceramic Membranes1:

Maximum Driving
MD
Material Geometry flux force Sources1
configuration
(kg/m2.h) (kPa)
Alumina E
Krajewski
AGMD fluorosilane Tubular 6.02E6.76 70
et al. -2006
functionalized
Hendren et
DCMD Alumina E silanized Flat disc 7.8E8.1 12.23
al. -2009
Cerneaux
VMD Titania Tubular 6.08 0.3
et al. -2009
Cerneaux
VMD Zirconia Tubular 7.5 0.3
et al. -2009
38.5E83. Cerneaux
AGMD Zirconia Tubular 2.7E4.7
9 et al. -2009
38.5E83. Cerneaux
DCMD Zirconia Tubular 1.7E3.95
9 et al. -2009
Larbot et al.
AGMD Alumina Tubular 5.39 70
(2004)
Larbot et al.
AGMD Zirconia Tubular 2.8E6.9 70
(2004)
Gazagne
AGMD Alumino-silicate Tubular 5.08 83.9 s et al.-
2007
Gazagne
AGMD Alumina Tubular 4.91E5.04 83.9 s et al.-
2007
Gazagne
AGMD Zirconia Tubular 5.08 83.9 s et al.-
2007

Clay with Khemakh

perfluoro em and
AGMD Flat disc 3.95E5.83 47.36
decytriethoxysilane Amar
(pore size 15 nm) (2011)

Clay with Khemakh

perfluorodecytrietho em and
AGMD Flat disc 5E7.2 47.36
xysilane (pore size Amar
180 nm) (2011)

Duke et
VMD Alumina Flat sheet 0.72 47.36
al. (2009)
Duke et
VMD Silica Flat sheet 1.7
al. (2009)
Chua et
VMD Organosilica Tubular 2.50E+13 12
al. (2013)
 ii) Carbon Nano-tubes Based Mebranes1.

Contact Salt
Thickness dP Permieability (10-8
Sample rejection
(Mm) angle (o) (%)
(kPa) kg/m/h/Pa)1

Self-supporting
55 118 94 40.43 1.63
BP
Sandwiched BP 140 105 95.5 55 3.81
PTFE coated
105 155 99 78 1.04
BP
Alkoxy silane-
Functionalized 62 140 98.3 35 1.68
BP

BP: buckypaper (BP) membranes

B. Organic-based Membranes:

These are mostly dual layered membranes that are hydrophilic on the permeate side and
hydrophobic on the feed side.

i. Plasma Treated PES2:

The Poly Ether Sulphone (PES) is plasma-treated to produce a 00 contact angle surface that is
converted to a contact angle above 1200 following CF4 treatment.

ii. Super Hydrophobic PVDF3:

Changes in membrane wettability may also be achieved by structuring the roughness of the
surface.
PVDF membranes were made superhydrophobic (130)o and oleophobic to glycerol by
producing multilevel roughness.

3. Hybrid and Exotic membranes:

a) Mixed matrix nano-composite membranes:

Graphene-CNT-PVDF4

Introduction of graphene particles and Carbon Nano-Tubes (CNTs) into PVDF HF membrane,
alters the membrane’s thermal properties.

b) Electrospun membranes:

PVDF Nanofibres
PVDF nanofibres have been investigated by Feng et al. (2008)5, and a salt rejection of NaCl
between 98.7% and 99.9% using MD was achieved.

The range of polymers that can be electrospun is large and materials not conventionally used for
membranes may be considered (Ioannis, 2005)6.

Prof. Mohamed Khayet7 in his book, Membrane Distillation: Principle and Application has
reported the following membranes as being used for Membrane Distillation.
 REFERENCES

1. L. E. Dumee, S. Smart, M. C. Duke, S. R. Gray, (2015), Next Generation Membarnes for

Membrane Distillation and Future Prospects, Pervaporation, Vapour Permeation and
Membrane Distillation, 415-447

2. (Wei, X., Zhao, B., Li, X.-M., Wang, Z., He, B.-Q., He, T., et al. (2012). CF4 plasma
surface modification of asymmetric hydrophilic polyethersulfone membranes for direct
contact membrane distillation. Journal of Membrane Science, 407e408, 164e175.)

3. (Razmjou, A., Arifin, E., Dong, G., Mansouri, J., & Chen, V. (2012). Superhydrophobic
modification of TiO2 nanocomposite PVDF membranes for applications in membrane
distillation. Journal of Membrane Science, 415e416, 850e863.)

4. (Su, M., Teoh, M. M., Wang, K. Y., Su, J., & Chung, T.-S. (2010). Effect of inner-layer
thermal conductivity on flux enhancement of dual-layer hollow fiber membranes in direct
contact membrane distillation. Journal of Membrane Science, 364, 278e289)
5. (Feng, C., Khulbe, K. C., Matsuura, T., Gopal, R., Kaur, S., Ramakrishna, S., et al.
(2008). Production of drinking water from saline water by air-gap membrane distillation
using polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber membrane. Journal of Membrane Science, 311,
1e6)

6. (Ioannis, S. C. (2005). Novel nanocomposites and nanoceramics based on polymer

nanofibers using electrospinning process—A review. Journal of Materials Processing
Technology, 167, 283e293.)

7. Khayet, M., & Matsuura, T. (2011). Membranes Used in MD and Design, Membrane
Distillation: Principle and Applications, 20-21.