Capped, in-floor immersion well

A decade after Dr. Hassler s efforts, Sidney Loeb and Srinivasa Sourirajan at UCLA attempted an approach to osmosis and reverse osmosis that differed from that of Dr. Hassler. Iheir approach consisted of pressurizing a solution directly against a flat, plastic film. Their work led to the development of the first asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane in 1960 (see Chapter 4.2.1). This membrane made RO a commercial viability due to the significantly improved flux, which was 10 times that of other known membrane materials at the time (such as Reid and Breton s membranes). These membranes were first cast by hand as flat sheets. Continued development in this area led to casting of tubular membranes. Figure 1.3 is a schematic of the tubular casting equipment used by Loeb and Sourirajan. Figure 1.4 shows the capped, in-floor immersion well that was used by Loeb and students and is still located in Boelter Hall at UCLA. 

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