MEMBRANE

SEPARATION
PROCESSES

By
Chanakya Pallem

What is a membrane?

Working mechanism:

Membrane process: the feed stream is divided into two streams:

Retentate (concentrate) stream

Permeate stream

Either the concentrate or permeate stream is the product of our

interest.

Sch. Representation of Membrane

Separation:

Phase 2

IDEAL
REAL MEMBRANE

Permeate

Feed
Driving Force

Phase 1

Membrane Processes:

First generation membrane processes

Microfiltration (MF)
Ultrafiltration (UF)
Nanofiltration (NF)
Hyper filtration (HF) /Reverse osmosis (RO)
Electro dialysis (ED)

Second generation membrane processes

Gas separation (GS)
Pervaporation (PV)
Membrane Distillation (MD)

Microfiltration (MF):

Separates suspended solids and some colloidal materials

(>0.1) from a feed stream.

The concentrate requires periodic removal or cleaning to

prevent the eventual plugging of membrane feed passage
ways.
Pore size : 0.1-10.0 microns
Pressure difference : Apprx. 10-500 kPa

Ultrafiltration (UF):

Separates colloidal material, emulsified oils, micro

biological materials, and large organic molecules.

Somewhat dependent on charge of the particle, and

is much more concerned with the size of the particle.

Pore sizes ranges: 10-1000 A (10 3-0.1 microns)

:most typical 0.005

Pressure difference : Apprx. 0.1-1.0 MPa

Typically not effective at separating organic streams

Nanofiltration (NF):

Used when low molecular weight solutes such as inorganic

salts/ small organic molecules (glucose, sucrose) have to
be separated.

Uses a membrane that is partially permeable to perform the

separation (like in RO), but NF pores >> RO pores

Can operate at much lower pressures, and passes some of

the inorganic salts due to larger pore size

Pore size is typically 1 nm

Pressure difference: 10-20 bar

Reverse Osmosis (RO) (Hyper filtration):

Specifically used for the separation of dissolved ions from water

(dissolved solids, bacteria, viruses, salts, proteins, and other
germs)
Charged ions and all other materials greater than or equal to .001
.
Essentially a pressure driven membrane diffusion process for
separating dissolved solutes.
Relatively a low energy process.
Smallest pore structure, 5-15 A0 (0.5 nm - 1.5 nm)
allows only the smallest organic molecules and unchanged
solutes to pass through the semi-permeable membrane along
with the water

>95-99% of inorganic salts and charged organics will also be

rejected by the membrane due to charge repulsion established
at the membrane surface

Electrodialysis:
In the ED process a semi-permeable barrier allows passage of
either positively charged ions (cations) or negatively charged
ions (anions) while excluding passage of ions of the opposite
charge. These semi-permeable barriers are commonly known
as ion-exchange, ion-selective or electrodialysis membranes.

Gas Separation (GS):

Used for separation of gas mixtures.

Separation of gases is due to their different solubility n
diffusivity in the polymer membranes.

Rate of permeation:
Proportional to pressure differential across the membrane,
solubility of gas in the membrane, diffusivity of gas
through membrane.
Inversely proportional to the membrane thickness.

Driving force: Concentration difference.

Pore size: < 1 nm.

Ex: Palladium membranes Hydrogen Separation.

Pervaporation (PV):

Separation of miscible liquids

Liquid is maintained at atmospheric pressure on the feed

side of the membrane, and permeate is removed as a
vapour because of a low vapour pressure existing on the
permeate side.

Differs from all other membrane processes because of the

phase change of the permeate.

Transport is effected by maintaining a vapour pressure

gradient across the membrane.

Membranes used: Zeolite n Poly Dimetyl Siloxane

Three steps sequence:

Selective sorption of one of the components of the
liquid into the membrane on the feed side
Selective diffusion of this component across the
membrane
Evaporation, as permeate vapour, into the partial
vacuum applied to the underside of the membrane

Membrane Distillation:

Is a process in which two liquid or solutions at

different temperatures are separated by a
porous hydrophobic membrane.

The liquid/solution must not wet the membrane

otherwise the pores will be filled for capillary
force.

Membrane distillation is a type of low

temperature, reduced pressure distillation due
at the use porous hydrophobic polymeric
membranes.

Schematic representation:
Such

transport occur in a
sequence of three steps:
Air/vapour

Fee
d

Permeate
H2O

H2O

T2

T1
Liquid water

Hydrophobic
porous
membrane
T1>T2

Liquid water

Evaporation on the hightemperature side.

Transport
of
vapour
molecules
through
the
pores of the hydrophobic
porous membrane.
Condensation on the lowtemperature side.

It is one of the membrane processes in which the membrane

is not directly involved in separation the only function of the
membrane is to act as a barrier between the twos phases.
Selectivity is completely determined by the vapour liquid
equilibrium involves. This means that the component with the
highest partial pressure will show the highest permeation rate.

6
1
5

4
Fractionation by membrane distillation, 1, porous hydrophobic membrane
polymer;
2, feed; 3, vapour space; 4, cooling water; 5, chilled wall; 6, condensed

Materials used:

ynthetic polymeric membranes:

) Hydrophobic
) Hydrophilic
Ceramic membranes
Alumina,
Alumina, Al
Al22O
O33
Zirconia,
Zirconia, ZrO
ZrO22
Titania,
Titania, TiO
TiO22
Silicium
Silicium Carbide,
Carbide, SiC
SiC

PolyTetraFluoroEthylene,
PolyTetraFluoroEthylene,
Teflon
Teflon
PolyVinyliDineFluoride
PolyVinyliDineFluoride
PolyPropylene
PolyPropylene
PolyEthylene
PolyEthylene
Cellulose
Cellulose esters
esters
PolyCarbonate
PolyCarbonate
PSf/PES
PSf/PES
PolyImide/PolyEtherImide
PolyImide/PolyEtherImide
PolyEtherEtherKetone
PolyEtherEtherKetone

Modules:
A module is the simplest membrane element that can be
used in
practice.
Module
design
must
deal with the
following
issues:
1.
Economy
of
2.
Minimum
1. Economy of
2. Minimum waste
waste of
of energy
energy
manufacture
manufacture
3.
3. Membrane
Membrane integrity
integrity
4.
4. Easy
Easy egress
egress of
of
against
against
permeate
permeate
damage
and
leaks
damage and leaks
5.
5. Permit
Permit the
the
membrane
membrane
to
to be
be cleaned
cleaned
21

Membrane Modules:

Plate-and-frame module

Tubular module

Capillary module

Hollow-fiber module

Spiral-wound module

Membrane
module
Plate
frame
Module
Spiralwound
module
Tubular

Membrane
area/unit
vol.
(m2 m-3 )
& 400 - 800

Membrane

Control of
Fouling

Application

medium

good

MF, UF, RO,

ED

800 - 1200

low

good

UF, RO, GS

20 - 100

very high

very good

MF, UF, RO

600 - 1200

low

very good

UF, MF,

2000 - 5000

very low

very poor

RO, GS

costs

module
Capillary
module
Hollow fiber
module

Membrane Fouling ?

Itis a process wheresolute or particles

deposit onto amembrane surface or into
membrane pores in a way that degrades
the membrane's performance.

MAJOR FOULANTS:

Organic materials

Biological growth

Colloidal n
suspended particles

Soluble salts

INFLUENTIAL FACTORS

Membrane properties

Solution properties

Operating conditions

Methods to reduce fouling:

1.
1.Pre-treatment
Pre-treatmentof
ofthe
thefeed
feedsolution
solution
2.
2.Membrane
Membrane
properties
properties
3.
3.Module
Moduleand
andprocess
process
conditions
conditions
4.
4.Cleaning
Cleaning

a.
Hydraulic
cleaning
a.
Heat
treatment
a.
Hydraulic
cleaning
a.
Heat
treatment
a.
Reducing
concentration
a.
Narrow
pore
size
distribution
a.
Reducing
concentration
a.
Narrow
pore
size
distribution
b.
Mechanical
cleaning
b.
pH
adjustament
Mechanical
cleaning
b.b.Hydrophilic
pH
adjustament
polarisation
b.
membranes
polarisation
b.
Hydrophilic
membranes
c.
Chemical
cleaning
c.
of
complexing
agents
c. Addition
Chemical
cleaning
c.
Addition
of
complexing
agents
a1.
Increasing
flux
a1. Increasing
fluxvelocity
velocity
d.
d. Chlorination
Chlorination
a2.
a2.Using
Usinglow
lowflux
flux
e.
Adsorption
onto
active
e. Adsorption
onto activecarbon
carbon
membranes
membranes

Advantages:

No specific chemical knowledge is needed for

operation
No Complex instrumentation
Basic concept is simple to understand
Separation can be carried out continuously
Membrane processes can easily be combined with
other separation processes
Separation can be carried out under mild conditions
Membrane properties are variable and can be
adjusted
Greater design flexibility in designing systems
Clean technology with operational ease

Disadvantages:

Membranes are relatively expensive

Certain solvents, colloidal solids, especially
graphite and other residues can quickly and
permanently destroy the membrane surfaces
Oil emulsions are not "chemically separated,"
so secondary oil recovery can be difficult.
Synthetics are not effectively treated by this
method
Biofouling/membrane fouling;
Low membrane lifetime;
Generally low selectivity

Applications:
Concentration:

The desired component is

present in a low concentration and solvent
has to be removed;

Purification:

Undesirable impurities have

to be removed;

Fractionation:

A mixture must be
separated into two or more desired
components.

Future Challenges:

Development and Advancement of Nanomaterials for effective membrane

strength n separations.

Over-coming the problem of Membrane

Fouling.

To design membranes for high selectivity.