Water distillation through poly(tetrafluoroethylene) hydrophobic membranes in a stirred cell

Abstract

The aim of this paper is the study of the transport of pure water through microporous hydrophobic membranes in a stirred cell containing two phases at different temperatures. The dependence of the phenomena on stirring rate and on the average temperature has been investigated. The influence of these operating conditions on mass-transfer rate is discussed, taking into account mass and heat transfer within the membrane and adjoining liquids. The concept of temperature polarization is introduced into the transport equations and shown to be important in the interpretation of experimental results.