Economics of Membrane Processes

Membrane processes are mainly used in processes where very high purity of the component is required. Despite the technical advantages, such as being gentle to the products, the large-scale applications of membranes processes are often affected by their cost. The cost of a given installation is determined hy two parts, the capital cost and the operational cost. The capital cost, or the installation investment, can be further divided into three parts  

In order to calculate the cost per unit (volume or mass) of product, the capital costs are depreciated over a period of time, often 10 yr. Interest has to he paid over this time on this amount of money. And the operational cost can be divided into four parts  

A more detailed calculation of the cost of membrane operation can be found in some articles and books (50, 51). A computer program, named the Water Treatment Cost Estimation Programme (WTCost) can be used to estimate costs of water treatment 

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