Perspectives for membrane contactors application in water treatment

Enrico Drioli; Efrem Curcio

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Vol.10, No.1, 24-32, January, 2004

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Perspectives for membrane contactors application in water treatment

Enrico Drioli^†, and Efrem Curcio¹

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials, University of Calabria, Via P.bucci CUBO 45/A 87030 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy
¹Institute on Membrane Technology ITM-CNR c/o, University of Calabria, Via P.Bucci CUBO 17/C 87030 Arcavacata di Rende (CS), Italy

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The possibility to redesign important industrial production cycles by combining various membrane operations is emerging as an attractive opportunity for the rationalisation of chemical productions. The field of applicability of traditional pressure driven membrane operations is today widened by novel membrane systems, such as membrane contactors. Potentialities of these devices have been discussed in the strategic sector of desalination and water treatment; here, despite the great success of membrane technology, some crucial problems still remains unsolved. Membrane absorbers and strippers can be used to control the amount of dissolved gases, thus reducing corrosion phenomena (02 removal), improving water agreeability (H2S removal), adjusting pH (limitation of scaling potential, enhancement of rejection towards boron, control of polymorphism of precipitated species, etc.). Membrane distillation is able to overcome limitations suffered by RO operation, mainly due to concentration polarization phenomenon; as a result, the total water recovery factor can be drastically increased. Membrane crystallizers demonstrate interesting potentialities in the production of crystals from supersaturated solutions showing good structural properties. In addition, the design of the integrated membrane processes well satisfy the requirements for an advanced process intensification approach that, in perspective, promises to surmount the existing limits of industrial processing lines.

Keywords:membrane contactors;integrated membrane systems;process intensification

[References]

Zhang Q, Cussler EL, J. Membr. Sci., 23, 321 (1985)
Isetti C, Nannei E, Magrini A, Energy Build., 25(3), 185 (1997)
Coronas J, Santamaria J, Catal. Today, 51(3-4), 377 (1999)
Lawson KW, Lloyd DR, J. Membr. Sci., 124(1), 1 (1997)
Giorno L, Li N, Drioli E, J. Membr. Sci., 217(1-2), 173 (2003)
Curcio E, Criscuoli A, Drioli E, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 40(12), 2679 (2001)
Wolf P, Water & Wastewater Int., June (2004)
Drioli E, Romano M, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 40(5), 1277 (2001)
Glueckstern P, Proc. of Euromembrane 2000, Maale Hachamisha, Israel (2000)
Weiner D, Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal Project, Draft Prefeasibility Report, The Harza JRV Group (1996)
Truby R, Water Wastewater Treatment, 15, 26 (2000)
El-Manharawy S, Hafez A, Desalination, 165, 163 (2003)
Du Pont PERMASEP, Bulletin 2050: Pretreatment for Permasep Permeators (1998)
Huesemann MH, Skillman AD, Crecelius EA, Marine Pollut. Bull., 44, 142 (2002)
Reed BW, Semmens MJ, Cussler EL, Membrane Contactors. In Membrane Separations Technology, Principles and Applications, Noble, R.D., Stern, S.A., Eds. Elsevier; New York (1995)
Rangwala HA, J. Membr. Sci., 112(2), 229 (1996)
More JA, Reproductive Toxicol., 11(1), 123 (1997)
Pastor MR, Ruiz AF, Chillon MF, Rico DP, Desalination, 140(2), 145 (2001)
Glueckstern P, Priel M, Desalination, 156(1-3), 219 (2003)
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Sandia National Laboratories, Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap- A Report of the Executive Committee (2003)
Nelson KH, Thompson TG, J. Mater. Res., 13, 166 (1954)
Williams M, Evangelista R, Cohen Y, American Water Works Association Water Quality Technology Conference (2002)
Drioli E, Criscuoli A, Curcio E, Desalination, 147(1-3), 77 (2002)
Drioli E, Curcio E, Criscuoli A, DiProfio G, J. Membr. Sci., in press (2003)
Morton AJ, Callister IK, Wade NM, Desalination, 108, 1 (1996)

[1] Zhang Q, Cussler EL, J. Membr. Sci., 23, 321 (1985)

[2] Isetti C, Nannei E, Magrini A, Energy Build., 25(3), 185 (1997)

[3] Coronas J, Santamaria J, Catal. Today, 51(3-4), 377 (1999)

[4] Lawson KW, Lloyd DR, J. Membr. Sci., 124(1), 1 (1997)

[5] Giorno L, Li N, Drioli E, J. Membr. Sci., 217(1-2), 173 (2003)

[6] Curcio E, Criscuoli A, Drioli E, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 40(12), 2679 (2001)

[7] Wolf P, Water & Wastewater Int., June (2004)

[8] Drioli E, Romano M, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 40(5), 1277 (2001)

[9] Glueckstern P, Proc. of Euromembrane 2000, Maale Hachamisha, Israel (2000)

[10] Weiner D, Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal Project, Draft Prefeasibility Report, The Harza JRV Group (1996)

[11] Truby R, Water Wastewater Treatment, 15, 26 (2000)

[12] El-Manharawy S, Hafez A, Desalination, 165, 163 (2003)

[13] Du Pont PERMASEP, Bulletin 2050: Pretreatment for Permasep Permeators (1998)

[14] Huesemann MH, Skillman AD, Crecelius EA, Marine Pollut. Bull., 44, 142 (2002)

[15] Reed BW, Semmens MJ, Cussler EL, Membrane Contactors. In Membrane Separations Technology, Principles and Applications, Noble, R.D., Stern, S.A., Eds. Elsevier; New York (1995)

[16] Rangwala HA, J. Membr. Sci., 112(2), 229 (1996)

[17] More JA, Reproductive Toxicol., 11(1), 123 (1997)

[18] Pastor MR, Ruiz AF, Chillon MF, Rico DP, Desalination, 140(2), 145 (2001)

[19] Glueckstern P, Priel M, Desalination, 156(1-3), 219 (2003)

[20] U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Sandia National Laboratories, Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap- A Report of the Executive Committee (2003)

[21] Nelson KH, Thompson TG, J. Mater. Res., 13, 166 (1954)

[22] Williams M, Evangelista R, Cohen Y, American Water Works Association Water Quality Technology Conference (2002)

[23] Drioli E, Criscuoli A, Curcio E, Desalination, 147(1-3), 77 (2002)

[24] Drioli E, Curcio E, Criscuoli A, DiProfio G, J. Membr. Sci., in press (2003)

[25] Morton AJ, Callister IK, Wade NM, Desalination, 108, 1 (1996)