| Résumé | The reverse osmosis process is discussed with particular reference to systems involving aqueous solutions and Loeb-Sourirajan-type porous cellulose acetate membranes. Mechanisms of the process and porous cellulose acetate membrane technology are briefly reviewed. Based on a general capillary diffusion model for the transport of solvent and solute through the membrane, transport equations applicable for the entire range of solute separation are presented. The results of the analysis and correlations of experimental reverse osmosis data are illustrated. On the basis of the above equations and correlations, methods of membrane specification, expressing membrane selectivity, and predicting membrane performance are outlined. Reverse osmosis is then treated as a unit operation in chemical engineering. A set of general equations for reverse osmosis process design is then derived for reverse osmosis systems specified in terms of membrane specifications and operating conditions. |
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