An Overview of Membrane Processes

The following tables will give you a basic appreciation for the technologies. Table 1 provides a comparison of the factors that affect the performance of the five technologies. 

Common types of membrane materials used are listed in Table 3. This gets us into the concept of geometry. There are three types of modules generally used, namely Tubular, Spiral wound, and Hollow fiber. A comparison of the various geometries is given in Table 4. 

Reverse Osmosis Asymmetric with homogeneous skin and microporous support Pressure, 10 -100 atm Solution diffusion 

Electrodialysis Electrostatically charged membranes (cation and anion) Electrical potential Electrostatic diffusion 

Mechanical Cleaning Methods Possible Not possible Not possible 

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