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Basic principles of membrane technology
304
Journal of Membrane
Science,
Elsevier Science Publishers
72 (1992)
304-305
B.V.. Amsterdam
Book Review Basic Principles of Membrane Technology, Marcel Mulder (Ed.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1991; hardbound, Dfl. 200, ISBN o-7923-0978-2; paperback, Dfl. 70, ISBN 0-7923-0979-O; 400 pp. Professor Mulder has done a favor for the membrane community, particularly for those in academe, by writting this book. As stated by Mulder in the Preface, “the lack of a comprehensive textbook...was one of the driving forces for writing the book.” The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students taking a course on membrane science or membrane separations, but engineers and scientists that are new to the field will find the book invaluable. The topics are presented in a very logical order. Clearly, the subject matter included under each topic was selected and organized with the student in mind. The first chapter introduces membrane separation processes, gives a brief history, and defines important terms. Chapter 2 discusses membrane materials with a definite focus on polymeric materials and their properties. Inorganic and biomimetic membranes are mentioned at the end of the chapter. The emphasis on polymeric materials is warranted given the prevalence of polymers in membrane structures. Mulder gives an excellent overview of membrane formation in Chapter 3. The various techniques of phase inversion are presented with a definite slant towards immersion porecipitation, the technique used most widely and one which has been studied in some detail. The section on phase separation in polymer systems is excellent as is the section covering the effect of different parameters in the immersion process on membrane precipitation morphology.
Membrane characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, mercury intrusion, adsorption-desorption, transport methods, thermal analysis, and surface analysis are covered in Chapter 4. The next chapter, “Transport in Membranes” discusses the basic principles of driving forces and transport in terms of chemical potentials and irreversible thermodynamics. Sorption and diffusion theories, such as dual mode, free volume theory, and water clustering receive the proper amount of coverage for a textbook. Scientists and engineers who have done research in membrane transport mechanisms may be disappointed with the depth given here, but it is more than adequate given that the book is first and foremost, a textbook. Chapter 6 is the longest chapter in the book and is devoted to the individual membrane processes. Pressure-driven separations are covered first followed by concentration-driven processes. Liquid membranes are included here. Thermally-driven processes such as membrane distillation and electrically-driven processes are also treated in this chapter. Concentration polarization and membrane fouling are the topics of a separate chapter. The author chose to introduce membrane transport and separation processes (Chapters 5 and 6) without discussing polarization and fouling. As a textbook, this approach may be suitable, but for the practicing engineer who is a novice at membrane separations, polarization and fouling could get overlooked. The final chapter discusses membrane module configurations and process design. There are two weak points which warrant discussion. First, the index is very brief and not very useful. For example, under “polysulfone”, the index lists a single page - a reference to po-
305
lysulfone as a microfiltration membrane - while the entire chapter on membrane formation focuses on polysulfone. The second weak point is the lack of examples and end-of-the-chapter problems. Since Mulder states from the outset that this book is meant to be a textbook, example problems would be particularly useful for students as well as practicing scientists and engineers. Neither one of these weaknesses detracts from the overall quality of the book, which is excellent. They only serve as suggestions for improvement of future editions. I found a few typographical and grammatical errors, but no more than one would expect from the first edition of a new book. Basic Principles of Membrane Technology by Marcel Mulder is a very welcome addition to
the membrane literature. It provides an excellent overview of all aspects of membrane science in a single source without one particular membrane separation process receiving more attention than the others. Professionals in the field will find it a concise compilation of membrane fundamentals. One should not expect it to be an exhaustive review of the literature; that was not the goal of the author. Professor Mulder has done an admirable job, and I feel that the book should be strongly considered as a textbook for courses in membrane science and separations. TIMOTHY A. BARBARI Department of Chemical Engineering The John Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, USA
Journal of Membrane
Science,
Elsevier Science Publishers
72 (1992)
304-305
B.V.. Amsterdam
Book Review Basic Principles of Membrane Technology, Marcel Mulder (Ed.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1991; hardbound, Dfl. 200, ISBN o-7923-0978-2; paperback, Dfl. 70, ISBN 0-7923-0979-O; 400 pp. Professor Mulder has done a favor for the membrane community, particularly for those in academe, by writting this book. As stated by Mulder in the Preface, “the lack of a comprehensive textbook...was one of the driving forces for writing the book.” The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students taking a course on membrane science or membrane separations, but engineers and scientists that are new to the field will find the book invaluable. The topics are presented in a very logical order. Clearly, the subject matter included under each topic was selected and organized with the student in mind. The first chapter introduces membrane separation processes, gives a brief history, and defines important terms. Chapter 2 discusses membrane materials with a definite focus on polymeric materials and their properties. Inorganic and biomimetic membranes are mentioned at the end of the chapter. The emphasis on polymeric materials is warranted given the prevalence of polymers in membrane structures. Mulder gives an excellent overview of membrane formation in Chapter 3. The various techniques of phase inversion are presented with a definite slant towards immersion porecipitation, the technique used most widely and one which has been studied in some detail. The section on phase separation in polymer systems is excellent as is the section covering the effect of different parameters in the immersion process on membrane precipitation morphology.
Membrane characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, mercury intrusion, adsorption-desorption, transport methods, thermal analysis, and surface analysis are covered in Chapter 4. The next chapter, “Transport in Membranes” discusses the basic principles of driving forces and transport in terms of chemical potentials and irreversible thermodynamics. Sorption and diffusion theories, such as dual mode, free volume theory, and water clustering receive the proper amount of coverage for a textbook. Scientists and engineers who have done research in membrane transport mechanisms may be disappointed with the depth given here, but it is more than adequate given that the book is first and foremost, a textbook. Chapter 6 is the longest chapter in the book and is devoted to the individual membrane processes. Pressure-driven separations are covered first followed by concentration-driven processes. Liquid membranes are included here. Thermally-driven processes such as membrane distillation and electrically-driven processes are also treated in this chapter. Concentration polarization and membrane fouling are the topics of a separate chapter. The author chose to introduce membrane transport and separation processes (Chapters 5 and 6) without discussing polarization and fouling. As a textbook, this approach may be suitable, but for the practicing engineer who is a novice at membrane separations, polarization and fouling could get overlooked. The final chapter discusses membrane module configurations and process design. There are two weak points which warrant discussion. First, the index is very brief and not very useful. For example, under “polysulfone”, the index lists a single page - a reference to po-
305
lysulfone as a microfiltration membrane - while the entire chapter on membrane formation focuses on polysulfone. The second weak point is the lack of examples and end-of-the-chapter problems. Since Mulder states from the outset that this book is meant to be a textbook, example problems would be particularly useful for students as well as practicing scientists and engineers. Neither one of these weaknesses detracts from the overall quality of the book, which is excellent. They only serve as suggestions for improvement of future editions. I found a few typographical and grammatical errors, but no more than one would expect from the first edition of a new book. Basic Principles of Membrane Technology by Marcel Mulder is a very welcome addition to
the membrane literature. It provides an excellent overview of all aspects of membrane science in a single source without one particular membrane separation process receiving more attention than the others. Professionals in the field will find it a concise compilation of membrane fundamentals. One should not expect it to be an exhaustive review of the literature; that was not the goal of the author. Professor Mulder has done an admirable job, and I feel that the book should be strongly considered as a textbook for courses in membrane science and separations. TIMOTHY A. BARBARI Department of Chemical Engineering The John Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, USA