Chapter 11

Membrane based bioseparation

11.1. Introduction A membrane is a thin semi-permeable barrier which can be used for the following types of separation: 1. Particle-liquid separation 2. Particle-solute separation 3. Solute-solvent separation 4. Solute-solute separation Among the many applications are: product concentration, product sterilization (i.e. removal of bacteria and virus particles), solute fractionation, solute removal from solutions (e.g. desalination, demineralization), purification, and clarification. Some of the factors, which are utilized in membrane based separation, are: 1. Solute size 2. Electrostatic charge 3. Diffusivity 4. Solute shape The transport of material through a membrane could be driven by convection or by diffusion or indeed by a combination of the two. Convection based transport takes place due to transmembrane pressure and hence membrane processes involving convective transport are also referred to as pressure driven processes. The manner in which a pressure driven separation process is carried out is shown in Fig. 11.1. Diffusion based transport utilizes the concentration difference of the transported species across the membrane as the driving force. The manner in which a diffusion driven separation process is carried out is shown in Fig. 11.2. A membrane may be made from organic polymers or inorganic material such as glass, metals and ceramics, or even liquids. Examples of polymeric (or organic) membranes include those made from cellulose,
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cellulose acetate (CA), polysulfone (PS), polyethersulfone (PES), polyamides (PA), polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Inorganic membranes can be made from ceramics, glass, pyrolyzed carbon and stainless steel.
Membrane module

Retentate

\
Feed

\
Membrane Fig. 11.1 Pressure driven separation
Membrane module

Permeate

" Feed Sweep Membrane *

Retentate Permeate

Fig. 11.2 Diffusion driven separation From a structural point of view membranes are broadly divided into two types as shown in Fig. 11.3:

1. Symmetric (or isotropic) 2. Asymmetric (or anisotropic) A symmetric membrane has similar structural composition and morphology at all positions within it. An asymmetric membrane is composed of two or more structural planes of non-identical composition or morphology. From a morphological point of view, membranes can be classified into two categories: porous or dense. Porous membranes have tiny pores or pore networks (see Fig. 11.4). On the other hand dense membranes do not have any pores and solute or solvent transport through these membranes take place by a partition-diffusion-partition mechanism. Membranes are available in three basic forms: