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Pressure‐induced diffusion of organic liquids through highly swollen polymer membranes
Author(s) -
Paul D. R.,
EbraLima O. M.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1970.070140903
Subject(s) - membrane , diffusion , polymer , swelling , osmotic pressure , materials science , yield (engineering) , thermodynamics , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , chemistry , composite material , biochemistry , physics , engineering
The transport of twelve organic liquids through a highly swollen rubbery membrane has been studied. The transport was caused by a pressure applied to the liquid above the membrane (reverse osmosis). The flux was found to be a highly nonlinear function of the driving pressure. Detailed thermodynamic and diffusion theories are proposed to describe the transport in terms of the concentration gradient of the swelling liquid within the membrane induced by the applied pressure. The data and the theory appear to be in very good agreement. The diffusion coefficients deduced from the data are explained in terms of a hydrodynamic mechanism of diffusion. Highly swollen membranes can yield very high liquid fluxes at moderate pressure and consequently may have applications for performing certain separations.