Chapter 6 - Membrane distillation

Abstract

In membrane distillation (MD), the membrane as a separating agent can be used for separating a mixture with close boiling point or forming azeotrope, but this separating agent doesn’t need to be recycled. The separation principle of MD is based on the selectivity of a membrane material to components with different structures and properties. For example, for a hydrophobic membrane, volatile organic compounds are more preferential than water to pass through the membrane. As a special distillation process, an outstanding advantage of MD is energy saving, but more work is needed before it is extensively applied in the industry.