Organic Solvent Nanofiltration

Abstract

This chapter gives an overview on organic solvent nanofiltration (also called organophilic nanofiltration and solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes). Organic solvent nanofiltration has the potential to significantly improve liquid-phase separation processes with respect to energy consumption and plant complexity. Especially in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, separation/concentration, purification, and solvent exchange are of great importance. Polymeric membranes are the focus of the chapter. The employed polymers and routes for producing membranes are being discussed, including post-treatment strategies. Membrane modules used for this application are being introduced, including approaches for modeling their operating performance. An overview of approaches to assess the transmembrane mass transfer by modeling is also given. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to a description of different applications of organic solvent nanofiltration to separations in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.