Solubility and diffusivity of water and of salts in an aromatic polyamide film

✍ Scribed by M.A. Frommer; J.S. Murday; R.M. Messalem

• Book ID: 103073214
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 410 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(73)90096-7

✦ Synopsis

The solubility and the diffusivity for water and NaCI in a fully aromatic polyamide (PA) film have been determined. From these the "intrinsic permeability characteristics" of this polymer have been calculated and its suitability for desalination by reverse osmosis is compared with that of the commonly used cellulose acetate (CA). It has been found that, although the solubility of NaCI in the PA film is higher than that in a CA film, PA membranes will reject salt better than CA membranes having identical structure and morphology. This is because the diffusivity of NaCI through the PA film is substantially lower, and the permeability of water through it (as well as the solubility and the diffusivity of water in it) are higher than the comparable values for CA films.