Supporting membrane material

Several publications on the processing of membranes based on these materials could be found in the literature [5-28]. The selection of membrane material for a given application could be divided in to two parts Screening of materials based on bulk properties and screening based on thin film properties. In the former case, intrinsic material properties such as stability and conductivity will decide the outcome of the research work. In the latter case, the defect free formability of thin film will be the deciding part. The method of film formation as well as the quality of the support substrates could become important in this respect. In supported membranes, material stability and membrane performance are very much related. The most important issue - the application of membranes in high temperature environments - is therefore the study of the stmcture of the membrane/material and its correlation with the stability/durability. 

Ceramic, Metal, and Liquid Membranes. The discussion so far implies that membrane materials are organic polymers and, in fact, the vast majority of membranes used commercially are polymer based. However, interest in membranes formed from less conventional materials has increased. Ceramic membranes, a special class of microporous membranes, are being used in ultrafHtration and microfiltration appHcations, for which solvent resistance and thermal stabHity are required. Dense metal membranes, particularly palladium membranes, are being considered for the separation of hydrogen from gas mixtures, and supported or emulsified Hquid films are being developed for coupled and facHitated transport processes. 

Another type of membrane is the dynamic membrane, formed by dynamically coating a selective membrane layer on a finely porous support. Advantages for these membranes are high water flux, generation and regeneration in situ abiUty to withstand elevated temperatures and corrosive feeds, and relatively low capital and operating costs. Several membrane materials are available, but most of the work has been done with composites of hydrous zirconium oxide and poly(acryhc acid) on porous stainless steel or ceramic tubes. 

Ionic liquids have already been demonstrated to be effective membrane materials for gas separation when supported within a porous polymer support. However, supported ionic liquid membranes offer another versatile approach by which to perform two-phase catalysis. This technology combines some of the advantages of the ionic liquid as a catalyst solvent with the ruggedness of the ionic liquid-polymer gels. Transition metal complexes based on palladium or rhodium have been incorporated into gas-permeable polymer gels composed of [BMIM][PFg] and poly(vinyli-dene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene copolymer and have been used to investigate the hydrogenation of propene [21]. 

Finally, to evaluate the membranes, analysis such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, TEM and light scattering were performed at the School of Mineral and Material Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia. The last part of the work, testing the produced membrane to remove emulsifier oil from domestic wastewater, was accomplished on a limited budget. An experimental rig and membrane module were required. Also the need for experimental data for the application of the supported membrane may show the real success of this project. 

In the discussions to follow two types of membranes must be distinguished (1) nonsupported and (2) supported ones. Nonsupported membranes are produced by pouring a slip onto a very smooth, dense substrate on which gelling takes place by slow evaporation of the dispersion liquid. In this way rather thick, crack-free films can be obtained. They are especially suitable for characterization purposes and structural investigations. These are evaluated to determine whether or not the structures obtained are similar or comparable with those of the supported ones, made from the same slip and the same material. The next section will also focus on the supported membranes. 

The separation efficiency (e.g. permselectivity and permeability) of inorganic membranes depends, to a large extent, on the microstructural features of the membrane/support composites such as pore size and its distribution, pore shape, porosity and tortuosity. The microstructures (as a result of the various preparation methods and the processing conditions discussed in Chapter 2) and the membrane/support geometry will be described in some detail, particularly for commercial inorganic membranes. Other material-related membrane properties will be taken into consideration for specific separation applications. For example, the issues of chemical resistance and surface interaction of the membrane material and the physical nature of the module packing materials in relation to the membranes will be addressed. 

Manufacturer Trade Name Membrane Material Support Material Membrane Pore Diameter Geometry of Membrane Element Tube or Channel Inside Diameter (mm)... 

Zeolite/polymer mixed-matrix membranes can be fabricated into dense film, asymmetric flat sheet, or asymmetric hollow fiber. Similar to commercial polymer membranes, mixed-matrix membranes need to have an asymmetric membrane geometry with a thin selective skin layer on a porous support layer to be commercially viable. The skin layer should be made from a zeohte/polymer mixed-matrix material to provide the membrane high selectivity, but the non-selective porous support layer can be made from the zeohte/polymer mixed-matrix material, a pure polymer membrane material, or an inorganic membrane material. 

The geometries for asymmetric mixed-matrix membranes include flat sheets, hollow fibers and thin-fihn composites. The flat sheet asymmetric mixed-matrix membranes are formed into spirally wound modules and the hollow fiber asymmetric mixed-matrix membranes are formed into hollow fiber modules. The thin-film composite mixed-matrix membranes can be fabricated into either spirally wound or hollow fiber modules. The thin-film composite geometry of mixed-matrix membranes enables selection of different membrane materials for the support layer and low-cost production of asymmetric mixed-matrix membranes utilizing a relatively high-cost zeolite/polymer separating layer on the support layer. 

Porous supports like agarose, pol3mrethacrylate, or silica beads are generally used in current applications of affinity chromatography. However, in the past several years other types of supports have also become available commercially. Many of these newer materials have properties that give them superior performance in certain applications. Materials that fall in this category include nonporous supports, membranes, flow-through beads, continuous beds and expanded-bed particles. 

A great many different materials have been used in osmotic pressure experiments. Various forms of cellophane and animal membranes are probably the most common membrane materials. Various other polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane, and polytrifluorochl-oroethylene, have also been used along with such inorganic substances as CuFe(CN)6 precipitated in a porous support. 

Biological Membranes Attractive supporting membranes for commercial exploitation of biological material, e.g. immobilization ot membrane bound enzymes in solid state sensors ISFET tvpe structures. 

Self-Supporting Tubes. Depending on the membrane material and operating pressure, self-supporting tubes are less than 2-mm ID inside diameters as small as 0.04 mm are commercially available,... 

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