Separation Process Engineering: Includes Mass Transfer Analysis, 4th Edition

Chapter 18. Introduction to Membrane Separation Processes

This chapter presents an introduction to the four membrane separation methods most commonly used in industry: gas permeation, reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF), and pervaporation (pervap). These membrane separation processes are based on the rate at which solutes transfer though a semipermeable membrane. They are not operated as equilibrium-staged processes. The key to understanding these membrane processes is the rate of mass transfer, not equilibrium. Yet, despite this difference, we will see many similarities in the solution methods for different flow patterns with the solution methods developed for equilibrium-staged separations. Because the analyses of these processes are ...