RECENT ADVANCES IN MEMBRANE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

Abstract

In this review dealing with recent advances in membrane science, the term ″membrane″ is used to indicate any medium which acts as a barrier to transport into or out of a region, provides selective transfer of one species over another or regulates the transport of a material to its environment at a controlled rate. The above definition includes a variety of interesting cases such as highly porous ultrafiltration membranes and hydrophobic liquid membranes with selectivity properties which can be tailored by incorporation of materials which selectively complex with one of the species to be processed. The important topics of controlled release of chemicals from polymeric devices and removal of volatile monomers from addition polymers such as poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(acrylonitrile) are also included in this review paper. Among other topics, the author presents the transport and sorption theories presented which provide parameters for physical interpretation a useful complement to other methods of physical analysis of the polymeric state. The study of gas sorption and transport in rubbery polymers is dealt in some detail.