Membrane Technology and Engineering for Water Purification

Application, Systems Design and Operation

Rajindar Singh

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780444634092
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Membrane Technology and Engineering for Water Purification, Second Edition is written in a practical style with emphasis on: process description; key unit operations; systems design and costs; plant equipment description; equipment installation; safety and maintenance; process control; plant start-up; and operation and troubleshooting. It is supplemented by case studies and engineering rules-of-thumb. The author is a chemical engineer with extensive experience in the field, and his technical knowledge and practical know-how in the water purification industry are summarized succinctly in this new edition.This book will inform you which membranes to use in water purification and why, where and when to use them. It will help you to troubleshoot and improve performance and provides case studies to assist understanding through real-life examples.- Membrane Technology section updated to include forward osmosis, electrodialysis, and diffusion dialysis- Hybrid Membrane Systems expanded to cover zero liquid discharge, salt recovery and removal of trace contaminants- Includes a new section on plant design, energy, and economics

Chapter 1

Introduction to Membrane Technology

Abstract

Since 1960, membrane technology has transformed from laboratory development to proven industrial applications. Continuing advances in development of new membranes with better thermal, chemical, and improved transport properties have led to many new possible applications. Membranes are used extensively for desalination, potable water production, treating industrial effluents, water reclamation, and reuse. Development of newer membrane modules and operating procedures in recent years has provided a key stimulus for the growth of the membrane industry such as submerged membrane filtration for treating municipal water. Besides water treatment, membranes are used in the manufacture of food and pharmaceutical products, production of base chemicals, energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, and in medical devices such as haemodialysis, blood oxygenators, and controlled drug delivery products. Membrane-separation processes are being increasingly integrated with conventional technologies as hybrid membrane systems to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact. Overall, the market for membranes and membrane systems grew from $4.4 billion in 2000 to more $10 billion in 2010, and the market for water treatment equipment could exceed $10.4 billion in 2014, with one-third for desalination.

Keywords

Reverse osmosis

Ultrafiltration

Microfiltration

Membrane elements

Membrane polymers

Fouling

“No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.”

— Victor Hugo

1.1 Technology Overview

Synthetic membrane processes perform versatile functions with the membrane acting as a barrier interface between feed and product. In liquid separations, for example, they are used to separate particles that span four orders of magnitude from dissolved ions to bacteria (Figure 1.1). Virtually all membrane processes are pressure driven, do not involve a phase change, and consume much less energy than alternate separation processes.

Figure 1.1 Membrane process designation by solute size.

Since 1960, membrane technology has transformed from laboratory development to proven industrial applications. More than 95% of applications are for liquid separations. Membranes are used for desalination of seawater and brackish water, potable water production and for treating industrial effluents, and water reclamation and reuse. Membranes are used for the concentration of and purification of food and pharmaceutical products, in the production of base chemicals and energy conversion devices such as fuel cells. Membranes are also used in medical devices such as haemodialysis, blood oxygenators, and controlled drug delivery products. Membrane-separation processes are being increasingly integrated with conventional technologies as hybrid membrane systems to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact.

Four developments are widely considered to be responsible for transferring membrane science from the laboratory to commercial reality:

1. development of high-efficiency membrane elements (modules) with large surface areas;

2. creation of advanced materials with controllable capabilities to separate molecularly similar components (e.g., gases, salts, colloids, proteins);

3. tailoring membrane morphology for controlling microscopic transport phenomena; and

4. manufacturing membrane elements economically and reliably [1].

Continuing advances in development of new membranes with better thermal, chemical, and improved transport properties have led to many new possible applications. Development of newer membrane modules and operating procedures in recent years has provided a key stimulus for the growth of the membrane industry such as submerged membrane filtration for treating municipal water.

The market for membrane applications is determined by product quality and by the availability of new and better membranes and membrane processes; for example, heterogeneous membranes made from polymers and ceramics are being developed for handling non-aqueous feed streams [1]. The first significant application for membranes was in the testing of drinking water at the end of World War II. Total annual sales in 1960 was $20 million in 2012 dollars. Overall market for membranes and membrane systems grew from $4.4 billion in 2000 to more $10 billion in 2010. The largest market segment for membrane technology in 2000 was in the biomedical sector with sales of haemodialysis equipment about $2.2 billion [2]. The sales of gas separation (GS), pervaporation (PV), membrane reactors and bipolar membranes were substantially smaller. According to a report published in 2013 by McIlvane Company, the sales of membranes and equipment for water treatment could exceed $10.4 billion in 2014 with one-third for desalination.

1.2 Historical Development

The first recorded study of membrane phenomena appears to have been by the French Abbe Nollet in 1748. He placed spirit of wine in a vessel, the mouth of which was closed with an animal bladder and immersed in water. Because it was more permeable to water than to wine, the bladder swelled and sometimes even burst, demonstrating semipermeability for the first time. Dutrechet introduced the term “osmosis” in the 1820s to characterise the spontaneous flow of liquid across a permeable barrier. The first synthetic membrane was prepared by Fick in 1855, made from nitrocellulose. In 1861 Graham reported the first dialysis experiments with synthetic membranes. He also demonstrated that rubber films exhibited different permeabilities to different gases. During the next 30 years, Traube and Pfeffer prepared artificial membranes, and their work with osmotic phenomena led to the well-known van’t Hoff osmotic pressure relationship [3]. Bechold coined the term “ultrafiltration” in 1906, and Michaels pioneered modern ultrafiltration (UF) in the 1960s. Many of these membranes could be used as very fine particle or molecular filters. The microporous filters developed ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface Two
• Acknowledgements for the Second Edition
• Chapter 1: Introduction to Membrane Technology
• Chapter 2: Water and Membrane Treatment
• Chapter 3: Hybrid Membrane Systems – Applications and Case Studies
• Chapter 4: Hybrid Membrane Plant Design and Operation
• Chapter 5: Design, Energy and Cost Analyses of Membrane Processes
• Chapter 6: Appendix: Engineering Data and Notes
• Index