Determination of mass transfer rates in wetted and non-wetted microporous membranes

The mass transfer resistance of microporous membranes placed between a gas and a liquid phase was studied for both wetted and non-wetted membranes. It was found that the mass transfer coefficient can be described according to the film model in which the porosity of the membrane and the tortuosity of the pores is incorporated. For the non-wetted membranes (mean pore diameter of 0.1 µm), the Knudsen and continuum diffusion must be taken into account. No difference was observed in the values of the liquid-phase mass transfer coefficients between systems with and without a membrance at the gas—liquid interface, despite the different hydrodynamic situation at the interface. The influence of a chemical equilibrium reaction on the mass transfer through a wetted membrane was analysed mathematically (two-film concept). With this model the tortuosity factor of the membrane was calculated from experimentally determined fluxes.