MEMBRANE SEPARATION

PROCESSES
THE CONCEPT…
 WHAT IS MEMBRANE?

✓ A membrane is defined as a thin layer of material which separates two

liquid phases, two gas phases, or a liquid - gas phase.
✓ A selective barrier that permits the separation of certain species in a fluid.

Membrane Materials
• Polymeric membranes
– organic membranes e.g. synthetic polymers
• Non-polymeric membranes
– inorganic membranes e.g. metal, ceramic, carbon and zeolites
- liquid membranes e.g. thin oil film
• Hybrid membranes
– Mixed matrix membranes where both organic and inorganic
components are used
 SOME MAJOR APPLICATIONS OF
MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY
1) Microfiltration (MF)
✓removes particles (0.08-2 µm) and operates within a range of 7-100 kPa.
✓separate microorganisms and suspended particles from process liquid.

2) Ultrafiltration (UF)
✓removes particles (0.005-2 µm) and operates within a range of 70-700kPa.
✓used to remove dissolved compounds with high molecular weight, such as
proteins and carbohydrates. Also, remove viruses and some endotoxins.

3) Dialysis (D)
✓process of eliminating waste (diffusion) and unwanted water
(ultrafiltration) from the blood.

4) Reverse Osmosis (RO)

✓RO is commonly used for the removal of dissolved constituents from
wastewater and seawater desalination.
MEMBRANE PROCESSES

✓ The retentate (concentrate/residual) is

part of the feed that does not pass
through the membrane.
✓ The permeate (filtrate/product) is that
part of the feed that does pass through
the membrane.
✓ The driving forces for transport across
the membrane is the chemical
potential gradient and the physical
structure of the membrane.
✓ Effectiveness of any membrane process
is described in term of the permeation
rate (flux) and selectivity.
✓ The degree of membrane selectivity is
depends on the membrane pore size.
 Liquid Permeation Membrane
• The solute molecules must first be transported or diffuse through the liquid film of
the first liquid phase on one side of the solid membrane, through the membrane
itself, and then through the film of the second liquid phase.

• The equilibrium distribution coefficient K’ is defined as

c c =c
K '= =S 1iS 2 iS

c c
L
c 1i 2i

• The flux equations through each phase are all equal to

each other at steady state:
D AB
N A = kc1 (c1 − c1i ) = (c1is − c2is ) = kc 2 (c2i − c2 )
L

c1 = bulk liquid phase concentration of the diffusing solute A (kg mol A/m3)
c1i = concentration of A in the fluid just adjacent to the solid
c1is = concentration of A in the solid at the surface and is in equilibrium with c1i
kc1 and kc2 = mass transfer coefficients (m/s)
• Substituting c1is = K’c1i and c2is = K’c2i

N A = kc1 (c1 − c1i ) = pM (c1i − c2i ) = kc 2 (c2i − c2 )

pM = permeance in the solid (m/s)
DAB K '
pM = L = solid thickness, (m)
L DAB = diffusivity of A in solid (m2/s)

NA NA NA
c1 −c1i = c1i −c2i = c2i −c2 =
kc1 pM kc2

c1 − c2
The overall flux equation: NA =
1 1 1
+ + Total resistance
kc1 pM kc2
 Gas Permeation Membrane Process

• In membrane process with two gas phases and a solid membrane, the equilibrium
relation between the solid and gas phases is given by

S c
H= = s = c1is = c2is H = equilibrium relation (kg mol/ m3.atm)
22.414 pA pA1i pA2i S = solubility of A (m3(STP)/atm.m3 solid)

• The flux equations in each phase :

NA =
kc1
(p A1 − pA1i )= PM (p A1i − pA2i )= kc2 (p A2i − pA2 )
RT L RT

DAB S  kgmol 
Permeability = PM = DAB H =  
22.414  s  m  atm 

p A1 − p A2
N A=
1/(k c1 / RT )+1/(PM / L)+1/(k c2 / RT )
• The overall flux equation:
 TYPES OF EQUIPMENT FOR GAS PERMEATION
MEMBRANE PROCESS
Flat membranes

Mainly used in experiments to characterize the permeability of the

membrane. The modules are easy to fabricate. This type of
membrane has very small membrane area per unit separator
volume.
 SPIRAL-WOUND
MEMBRANES
• This configuration increases markedly the
membrane area per unit separator volume up to
328 m2/ m3 and decreases the pressure drop.
• The assembly consists of a sandwich of four sheets
wrapped around a central core of a perforated
collecting tube.

• The feed gas enters at the left end of the shell,

enters the feed channel and flows through this
channel in the axial direction of the spiral to the
right end of the assembly.

• Then, the exit residue gas leaves the shell at this

point.
• The feed stream permeates perpendicularly
through the membrane.

• This permeate then flows through the permeate

channel toward the perforated collecting tube.
 HOLLOW-FIBRE MEMBRANES
• The membranes are in the shape of very small
diameter hollow fibres.
• The inside diameter of the fibres is in the range of
100 to 500 µm and the outside 200 to 1000 µm
with the length up to 3 to 5 m.
• The module resembles a shell-and-tube heat
exchanger. Thousands of fine tubes are bound
together at each end into a tube sheet that is
surrounded by a metal shell having a diameter of
0.1 to 0.2 m.
• The high pressure feed enters the shell side at one
end and leaves at the other end.
• The hollowfibresare closedat one end of the tube
bundles.
• The permeate gas inside the fibres flows counter-
current to the shell side flow and is collected in a
chamber where the open ends of the fibres
terminate.
• Then the permeate exits the device.
 TYPES OF FLOW IN GAS PERMEATION
• Figure (a), complete mixing is assumed for
the feed and the permeate chamber. Similar
to continuous-stirred tank, the reject
(residue) and the product (permeate)
compositions are equal to their respective
uniform compositions.
• Figure (b), the feed stream is in plug flow
and the permeate flows in normal direction
away from the membrane without mixing.
The permeate concentration varies along
the membrane path.
• Figure (c), both the feed stream and
permeate stream are in plug flow counter-
current to each other. The composition of Ideal flow patterns in a membrane separator for gases:
each stream varies along its flow path. (a) complete mixing; (b) cross-flow; (c) counter-current flow;
• Figure (d), both the feed stream and (d) co-current flow.
permeate stream are in plug flow co-current
to each other. The composition of each
stream varies along its flow path.
 EXAMPLE 13.2-1

A liquid containing dilute solute A at a concentration c1 = 3 x 10-2 kg

mol/m3 is flowing rapidly past a membrane of thickness L = 3.0 x 10-
5 m. The distribution coefficient K’ = 1.5 and D
AB = 7.0 x 10 m /s in
-11 2
the membrane. The solute diffuse through the membrane and its
concentration on the other side is c2 = 0.50 x 10-2 kg mol/m3. The
mass transfer coefficient kc1 is large and can be considered as infinite
and kc2 = 2.02 x 10-5 m/s.

(a)Derive the equation to calculate the steady-state flux NA and

make a sketch.
(b)Calculate the flux and concentrations at the membrane
interfaces.
 EXAMPLE 13.2-1 - SOLUTION

Part (a). Concentration profile on the left side is flat (kc1 = ∞). The concentration of c1i= c1. Hence,
1/kc1=0.
c1 − c2
NA =
10 1 1
+ +
k c1 p M kc2
 PART (B). TO CALCULATE THE
FLUX:

Calculate 
D K ' 7.0 10 −11 (1.5)
flux pM = AB
= −5
= 3.510 −6
m/s
L 310
c2 − c 310 − 2 − 0.510 − 2
NA = =
1/ pm +1/ k c2 1/ 3.510 −6 +1/ 2.02 10 −5

= 7.45810-8 KG.MOL/S.M 2
 N A = 7.45810-8 = KC2 (C2I − C2 ) = 2.02 10−5 (C2I − 0.510 −2 )
• C2I = 8.692
•
10−3 KG.MOL/M 3

c2iS c2iS
Calculate  K ' = 1.5 = =
concentration, c2i 8.692 10 −3
c2is
c2iS = 1.304 10 − 2 kg.mol/m3
 EXAMPLE 13.2-2

Calculate the flux and the rate of removal of urea at steady state in g/h from blood
in a cellophane membrane dialyzer at 37oC. The membrane is 0.025 mm thick and
has an area of 2.0 m2. The mass transfer coefficient on the blood side is estimated
as kc1 = 1.25 x 10-5 m/s and that on the aqueous side is 3.33 x 10-5 m/s. The
permeance of the membrane is 8.73 x 10-6 m/s. The concentration of urea in the
blood is 0.02 g urea/100 mL and that in the dialyzing fluid will be assumed as 0.

Example 13.2-2 - Solution

c1 − c2
NA =
1/ k c1 +1/ p M +1/ k c 2
200 - 0
=
1/1.2510 -5 +1/ 8.7310 − 6 +1/ 3.3310 − 5
= 8.9110 -4 g/s.m 2
For a time of 1 h and an area of 2.0 m 2
rate of romoval = 8.9110 -4 (3600)(2.0)
17

= 6.42 g urea/h
Discuss the applications and the benefit (e.g. cost savings, enable
maximum product recovery, optimize economic efficiency and
sustainable environment) of membrane technology in:

✓ PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
✓ OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES
✓ FOOD INDUSTRIES
✓ WASTEWATER TREATMENT
✓ DESALINATION OF SEAWATER