Durability of Membrane (Lifetime of Membrane)

Durability (or lifetime) of membranes is a critical factor in the commercialization potential of any membrane material, as it must be resilient to the process conditions over an extended period of time. The lifetime of a membrane is also an important factor in the economic evaluation of a membrane process, as replacement of membranes is a significant cost burden.

A range of factors influence the durability of membrane materials. These include chemical degradation of either the active layer or support structure due to harsh chemical components in the feed stream, for example, feeds with low or high pH conditions, as well as high electrolyte concentrations, polymeric aging, and polymer plasticization, leading to increased probability of the active layer rupturing. An example of this is cellulose acetate membranes being plasticized by exposure to hydrocarbons in petrochemical gas separation applications; active layer compaction due to the extended exposure to high-pressure differentials...