Ultrafiltration polymer solute rejection

Figure 24 shows the rejections of polymer solutes, polyethylene glycols) (PEG) with monodispersed molecular weights. From Fig. 24, it is apparent that the composite membrane can find application for ultrafiltration. The molecular weight cut-off drastically decreased by more than 10 fold from the swollen state at 25 °C to the shrunken state at 45 °C. Thus the switching ability of the gel was demonstrated in the permeation experiments. 

Rejection of the solute (or dispersed colloid) is, together with permeate flux, one of the two key performance parameters of any ultrafiltration membrane. The values of rejection coefficients are of crucial Importance in many applications of ultrafiltration. The objective of this contribution is to consider and analyze the individual factors affecting rejection of polymer solutes by ultrafiltration membranes. The factors that will be considered include, sterlc rejection (sieving), solute velocity lag and solute-membrane Interaction. 

Example 30.5. Ultrafiltration tests with a 1.5-cm tubular membrane at — 25,000 gave a permeate flux of 40 L/m -h and 75 percent rejection for a 5 percent polymer solution. The polymer has an average molecular weight of 30,000, and the estimated diffusivity is 5 x 10 cm s. (fl) Neglecting the effect of molecular diffusion in the pores, predict the fraction rejected for a flux of 20 L/m -h, and predict the maximum rejection, (b) Estimate the fraction rejected for the low-molecular-weight fraction of the pol3mier with M 10,000. (c) If the selective layer thickness is 0.2 fan, does molecular diffusion have a significant effect on the rejection for case (a) ... 

In a stirred ultrafiltration cell using a flat UF membrane, an aqueous solution of the polymer Dextran 20 was ultrafiltered. Data were gathered at different values of the water flux, and the solute rejection was measured. Dextran 20 is a linear polymer, and, as the solvent flux was increased, the rejection observed for Dextran 20 decreased. A plot of the solvent flux against the quantity (1 —Robs)/K>bs in a semilogarithmic plot (logarithmic on the abscissa for (1 ilobs)/fiobs) yielded a straight line with a positive slope and an intercept of 0.05 on the abscissa. 

Flat membranes from these polymers were tested for desalination and found to be of low salt rejecting type. Hov/ever, the copolymer was found to possess more than 90 per cent rejection for 1 per cent dextran solution with 10.0 gfd water flux at 200 psi thus indicating the possibility of application of these membranes in ultrafiltration and hemodialysis. 

Typical results of an ultrafiltration experiment also reflect the presence of concentration polarization. This phenomenon, l.e. accumulation of solute in front of the membrane, was described in great detail by others (Refs. 3, 4). A consequence of concentration polarization is a strong dependence of measured rejection coefficients on transmembrane fluxes. An illustration of the effect is presented in Figure 9, which shows the measured "apparent" rejection coefficients (Rg) as a function of transmembrane flux for two water-soluble polymers (Tetronic 707 and Carbowax 4000). It is clear from Figure 9 that if we want to minimize the effects of concentration polarization, we have to conduct experiments at very low values of transmembrane flux. 

The large number of papers necessitated publishing the symposium in two volumes. Volume I describes the desalination and salt-rejecting hyperfiltration membranes. Volume II covers hyper- and ultrafiltration membrane utilization in the following areas food, medicine, pulp, paper, and textile industries, oily waste stream purification, and in the separation of gases, polymers, organic solutes, and biopolymers. 

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