Membranes for Desalination

Abstract

This chapter provides a general overview of the fundamentals of membrane processes currently under operation in desalination plants, including Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF), Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Electrodialysis (ED). The first part provides a description of the preparation techniques for porous, dense or thin film composite membranes made from polymeric materials, along with a technical comparison of the different membrane modules used in filtration processes. The basic transport phenomena relating to mass transfer for the different membrane separation units are also illustrated. In the second part, attention is focussed on analysis of the critical operational issues, with emphasis on fouling and related actions to prevent or control it by appropriate cleaning methods or suitable pretreatment (conventional or membrane-based).