Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1 Abstract 2
2 Introduction 2
3 Aim 5
4 Theory 5
5 Apparatus 9
6 Procedures 10
7 Results 12
8 Sample of calculations 13
9 Discussions 14
10 Conclusions 15
11 Recommendation 16
12 References 16
13 Appendices 17
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1.0 ABSTRACT
2.0 INTRODUCTION
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These are the several classification of the main type of the membrane separation:
Gas diffusion in porous solid. In this type, a gas phase is present on both sides of the
membrane, which is microporous solid.
Liquid permeation or dialysis. In this case, the small solutes in one liquid phase
diffuse readily because of the concentration differences through a porous membrane
to the second liquid or vapour phase.
Gas permeation in a membrane. The membrane in this process is mostly a polymer
such as polyamide, rubber, and it is not a porous solid.
Reverse osmosis. A membrane, which disrupt the passage of the low-molecular-
weight solute, is planted between a solute-solvent solution and a pure solvent.
Ultrafiltration membrane process. In this process, pressure is used to obtain a
separation of molecules by means of a semipermeable polymeric membrane (M2).
Microfiltration membrane process. In microfiltration, pressure-driven flow through
the membrane is used to separate micron-size particles from fluids.
Gel permeation chromatography. The porous gel retards diffusion of the high
molecular weight solutes.
In the below figure are examples of variant substances shown in approximate correspondence
to the pore size of the membrane separation method that may be employed.
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Many industrial processes for separation of gases or liquid mixtures use
semipermeable membranes that allow one or more constituents of the mixture to pass through
more rapidly than the others. The membranes may be porous membranes- thin layers of rigid
material such as porous glass or sintered metal where the constituents diffuse from region of
high pressure through the porous of lower pressure and polymer membrane. Polymer
membrane are used widely in industrial processes.
In this experiment, the membrane separation process is using the Membrane Test Unit
(Model: TR14). This unit has been design to demonstrate the technique of membrane
separation which has become highly important in industry as it can provide efficient
separation without the use of heating energy as in distillation process. This type of membrane
extensively used in biotechnology and process industry.
The P.C.I Single-Tube Tester is designed for the economical, quick, initial evaluation
of membrane types and processes for separation and concentration at laboratory to more
detailed test work.
TR 14 unit consist of a test module supplied with four different namely, nanofiltration
(NF), ultrafiltration (UF), microfiltration (MF) and reverse osmosis (RO).
The AFC 99 is rated with 99% sodium chloride (NaCl) rejection and AFC 40 has 60%
calcium chloride CaCl2. The CA 200 membrane is rated with apparent retention character of
2000 MWCO while FP 100 PVDF membrane is 100000 MWCO.
3.0 AIM
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4.0 THEORY
There are two modes used for membrane separation which are direct flow mode and
cross flow mode. In direct flow mode, the water supply passes directly through the filter
meanwhile a cross flow mode employs high velocity of water flowing in parallel over the
membrane surface. Cross flow mode will keeps the membrane surface from forming solids or
from fouling (Asahi, 2013).
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Figure 2: Direct flow mode
Membrane can separate the component over a wide range of particle sizes and
molecular weight. In membrane process, the feed stream is divided into 2 streams which are
retentate and permeate. Retentate is feed that filtered from some of the pores through while
permeate is the feed that pass through the membrane (Hewitt, 2013). Permeates dissolve in
the membrane material as in a liquid and then diffuse through the membrane under any
pressure condition that can pressed permeates out of permeate porous.
Reverse osmosis separates salts or small molecules from low molecular weight solute
at high pressure using membrane that is placed between a solute solvent solution and a pure
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solvent. The solvent water will flows through the semipermeable membrane to the salt
solution (Geankoplis, 2014). The solvent pressure can be reduced by applying a pressure on
the salt solution side until at certain pressure of the salt solution is reached and the amount of
solvent passing in opposite direction is equal (Geankoplis, 2014).
The most widely used reverse osmosis membrane is cellulose acetate membrane. It
have low fouling tendency, high chlorine resistance and of course a very low cost. The
asymmetric membrane is made as a composite film which is thin and dense layer that has the
ability to block passage of quite small solute molecules. Another membrane that is prevalent
with reverse osmosis is aromatic polyamides. Compared to the cellulose, aromatic
polyamides have better chemical, thermal and biological stability, however they are highly
prone to degradation in the presence of chlorine (Takeshi, 2014).
Figure 4: osmosis and reverse osmosis (a) osmosis, (b) osmotic equilibrium, (c) reverse
osmosis
Ultrafiltration is a process where solvent and small solute molecules pass through the
membrane and collected as permeate. Larger molecule do no pass through the membrane and
collected in a concentrated solution (Geankoplis, 2014). It is also used to separates mixture of
different molecular weight protein. Ultrafiltration membranes are microporous and permeable
to small solute species similar to reverse osmosis. Ultrafiltration membrane is likely to keep
large solute species in the retentate. Thus the pressure required in ultrafiltration is not as high
as the reverse osmosis. Membrane is usually made from aromatic polyamides, cellulose
nitrate or polysulfone (Geankoplis, 2014).
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Microfiltration is used to filter micron-size of particle from fluids. The particle is
usually larger than the solutes in reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration. Thus, the osmotic
pressure can be neglect (Geankoplis,2 014). There are two types of configurations for the
microfiltration operation which are dead-end microfiltration and crossflow microfiltration.
Highly concentrated suspensions are not suitable for dead-end treatment since the separated
particle rapidly accumulate on the membrane and increase the rate of forming a clog.
Membranes that are usually used are hydrophobic and have high chemical and thermal
stability such as polytetrafluoethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or polyethylene.
Figure 5: process flow for microfiltration; (a) dead-end flow (b) cross-flow
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5.0 MATERIAL AND APPARATUS
Apparatus:
Weighing balance
Materials:
1. Sodium chloride solution
Membrane:
1. Membrane 1: AFC 99 (Polyamide film)
2. Membrane 2: AFC40 (polyamide film)
3. Membrane 3: CA 202 (Cellulose Acetate)
4. Membrane 4: FP 100(PVDF)
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6.0 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
6.3 Procedure
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8. The sample was collected by opening Valve V19 and simultaneously closing the valve
V11.
9. Steps 1 until 5 were repeated for Membrane 2, 3 and 4. Respective sets of valves were
opened and closed. The membrane maximum inlet pressure for every membrane was
adjusted according to the table below;
7.0 RESULTS
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3 112.32 154.47 173.48 1441.32
4 148.67 200.14 227.03 1922.41
5 184.68 245.62 281.87 2395.52
6 220.61 293.14 337.45 2618.74
7 255.36 343.97 392.67 3323.22
8 291.83 400.16 445.84 3813.04
9 326.55 457.39 500.34 4818.76
10 366.67 505.45 554.48 6231.65
7000
6000
5000
membrane 1 membrane 2 membrane 3
4000
3000
2000
membrane 4
1000
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Graph of weight of permeates against time
8.0 CALCULATIONS
During the interval 6 min to 7 min, the digital weighing balance only can max up to 3100 g.
at 6 minutes the flow exceed the flow make us to plus with the previous jar.
9.0 DISCUSSIONS
This membrane separation experiment was conducted to study the characteristics on four
different types of membranes. The membranes involved in the following experiment were
AFC 99 (Polyamide Film), AFC 40 (Polyamide Film), CA 202 (Cellulose acetate) and FP 100
(PVDF) which defined as membrane 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. From the obtained result, the
membranes can be classified whether as reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration (NF),
ultrafiltration (UF) or microfiltration (MF) membranes. Based on the graph of weight of
permeates against time that had been plotted, membrane 4 had the steepest slope followed by
membrane 3, 2 and 1.
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From the graph, membrane 1 (AFC 99 (Polyamide Film)) can be classified as reverse
osmosis (RO) membrane. This was because it gave the lowest weight of permeates at the end
of the experiment. Impurities and particles larger than 0.001 microns would be removed by
this membrane. RO membranes are effectively non-porous therefore, only water was allowed
to pass through the dense layer, and preventing the passage of solutes (salt ions). 18 bar of
pressure was used because the process needed a high pressure, normally 2 - 17 bar for fresh
and brackish water to be exerted on the high concentration side of the membrane. This type of
membrane widely used in drinking water purification system to improve the quality of water
to be consumed.
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allowed more microscopic, atomic or ionic materials such as water (H2O), and monovalent
species such as Sodium (Na+) or Chloride (Cl) ions, to pass through the membrane.
10.0 CONCLUSION
After completing the experiment, the characteristics of four membranes used had been
determined. In a conclusion, membrane 1 with the lowest weight of permeates represent a
reverse osmosis membrane that operated similarly to nanofiltration membrane which was
represented by the membrane 2 with larger amount of weight of permeates. Membrane 3 with
higher amount of weight of permeates compared to membrane 1 and 2 was an ultrafiltration
membrane. Membrane 4 produced the highest weight of permeates showed that it was a
microfiltration membrane that only differed slightly in operation with the ultrafiltration
membrane.
11.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
There are many recommendations for this experiment in order to improve the result of the
experiment.
1. The weighing balance should be placed far from the pump to prevent shaking that
would affect the weight of permeates readings.
2. The readings of the weight of permeates should be taken with more significant figures
to get the more accurate values.
3. Opening and closing the valves during collecting the sample should be done
simultaneously to avoid any interruption to the collection process.
4. The pressure regulator for the previous membrane should be closed first before
opening the pressure regulator to obtain the desired maximum inlet pressure for the
next membrane.
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5. A big container for the permeates sample should be used to avoid any spillage of the
sample.
13.0 REFERENCES
13.0 APPENDICES
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SOLTEQ MEMBRANE TEST UNIT (Model: TR 14)
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Description and assembly
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