Study on the permeability of ethanol in polyamide membranes

Abstract

This work consists of the study of the permeability of ethanol in different modified reverse osmosis and direct osmosis polyamide membranes, all of them working in direct osmosis. In this way, the behavior of these membranes in different mixtures of water and ethanol is studied using a mixture of glycerin with water as the osmotic solution. The membranes analyzed are commercial membranes that have been modified with the intention of reducing the thickness of the layer of the support, thus reducing one of the biggest problems of the membranes, the polarization of the concentration that occurs in the support. In recent years, direct osmosis has been specially investigated, demonstrating advantages over reverse osmosis, which has been widely studied and developed. Membrane processes have wide applications today, so that in these years they have been optimized. Specifically, reverse osmosis processes are used for desalination of sea water so that it can be made drinkable. It is also used for energy production, which in recent years has made it efficient and profitable, making it a new type of renewable energy. Osmosis research is advancing, like other branches of science and engineering, at ever faster steps, sighting a promising future. It is presented as an option or alternative to end the problems of shortage of drinking water and the problems derived from fossil fuels such as pollution and climate change and avoiding the problems of many renewable energies since they are intermittent production. The important points of the history of membrane science and the applications of osmosis will be explained