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Robert P. Jackson, PE
The uses for membrane technology are far greater than one might think. Research and development did not start in earnest until the early 1980s although the scientist Abbe Noiet coined the word “osmosis” to describe permeation of water through a diaphragm in the year 1748. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, membranes had no industrial or commercial uses, but were used as laboratory tools to develop physical/chemical theories. Early membrane investigators experimented with every type of diaphragm available to them: pig’s bladders, cattle or fish, and sausage casings made of animal gut. In the third decade of the twentieth century, membranes were regarded as mechanical sieves, and permeability was considered as solely dependent on particle and pore dimensions. There were several problems to development, as follows: 1.) Very unreliable, 2.) Too slow, 3.) Too unselective and 4.) Too expensive. The technology has come a long way and now enjoys many commercial applications. We look at these applications in this course.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
NY PE & PLS: You must choose courses that are technical in nature or related to matters of laws and ethics contributing to the health and welfare of the public. NY Board does not accept courses related to office management, risk management, leadership, marketing, accounting, financial planning, real estate, and basic CAD. Specific course topics that are on the borderline and are not acceptable by the NY Board have been noted under the course description on our website.