Ion-Exchange Membrane Separation Processes

Today, membranes and membrane processes are used as efficient tools for the separation of liquid mixtures or gases in the chemical and biomedical industry, in water desalination and wastewater purification. Despite the fact that various membrane processes, like reverse osmosis, are described in great detail in a number of books, processes involving ion-exchange membranes are only described in a fragmented way in scientific journals and patents; even though large industrial applications, like electrodialysis, have been around for over half a century. Therefore, this book is emphasizing on the most relevant aspects of ion-exchange membranes. This book provides a comprehensive overview of ion-exchange membrane separation processes covering the fundamentals as well as recent developments of the different products and processes and their applications. The audience for this book is heterogeneous, as it includes plant managers and process engineers as well as research scientists and graduate students. The separate chapters are based on different topics. The first chapter describes the relevant Electromembrane processes in a general overview. The second chapter explains thermodynamic and physicochemical fundamentals. The third chapter gives information about ion-exchange membrane preparation techniques, while the fourth and fifth chapter discusses the processes as unit operations giving examples for the design of specific plants. It is the first work on the principles and applications of electrodialysis and related separation processes. Presently, no other comprehensive work that can serve as both reference work and text book is available. It is suited for teaching students and as source for detailed information.