Water permeability in polymeric membranes, Part II

Abstract

This study is a combination of experimental and theoretical works in an attempt to produce a new useful empirical model for the mass transfer in pressure-driven membrane separation processes. Following on from our previous work in Part I, this part II paper introduces three new permeability models when using aqueous solutions as feed. The Solution-Diffusion Pore-Flow Concentration-Polarization (SDPFCP) model, which is a combination between the Solution-Diffusion Pore-Flow (SDPF) model [1] and the Concentration Polarization (CP) model, is presented. The SDPFCP model examines the CP model to represent the transfer phenomena outside the membrane by merging its effect within the water permeability coefficient. A further development for this model, the SDPFCP+, is obtained by adding an additional resistance to the system in series with the membrane resistance and the CP. The second model shows fair representation of the experimental results. The Solution-Diffusion Pore-Flow Fluid-Resistance (SDPFFR) model is then proposed to provide better representation for the system. The feed solution resistance to water flux, the Fluid Resistance (FR), is suggested to replace the CP and the additional resistance. The latter model shows excellent fitting to the experimental results; it may be useful for development and design applications, when based on experimental data.