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Membrane absorber: see Membrane contactor.
Membrane aging: Change in the transport properties of a membrane over a period of time due to physical chemical structural alterations.
Membrane apparatus: A device for realization of mass transfer processes using membranes; it can consist of one or several membrane modules.
Membrane bioreactor: A device that combines fermentation and membrane separation.
Membrane cascade: A single membrane module or a number of such modules arranged in parallel or in series without recycle that constitute a single-stage membrane separation process.
Membrane catalysis: Catalytic process that is combined with membrane separation of the products or introduction of the reactants through a membrane. Membrane itself or a material deliberately coated on it can serve as a catalyst.
Membrane compaction: Compression of membrane structure due to a pressure difference across its thickness.
Membrane conditioning or pretreatment: Process carried out on a membrane after the completion of its preparation and prior to its use in a separation application (Note 1: thermal annealing to relieve stresses or pre-equilibration in a solution similar to the feed stream it will contact are examples of conditioning treatments) [Note 2: conditioning treatments differ from post-treatments, since the latter occur before exposure to feed type solutions, while conditioning may occur using actual feed
solutions].
Membrane contactor: Apparatus for conducting the process of separation or chmical transformation in which the membrane serves as boundary of the two phases. In an important case of mass transfer from gas phase into liquid phase the letter can include selective chemisorbent.
Membrane degassing: Process of removal of liquids from dissolved gases using membranes.
Membrane distillation: Distillation process in which the liquid and gas phases are separated by a porous membrane, the pores of which are not wetted by the liquid phase.
Membrane electrode: Indicator or measuring electrode equipped with membrane selective to certain type or charge of ions.
Membrane electrolysis: Electrolysis process combined with separation using ion-exchange membrane.
Membrane element: Elementary cell of membrane apparatus that comprises membrane and drainage. Different types of elements are possible: hollow fiber, tubular, spiral wound, and plate-and-frame.
Membrane extraction: Process of extraction in which liquid membranes are used as extragents.
Membrane fractionation: Process of membrane separation of mixtures according to molecular mass, size or the charge of their components.
Membrane gas separation: Process of separation of gaseous mixtures using membranes.
Membrane module (cell): ). Device that contains one or more membranes or membrane elements.
Membrane module (cell): Manifold assembly containing a membrane or membranes to separate the streams of feed, permeate, and retentate.
Membrane oxygenation: Saturation of a liquid with oxygen by means of membrane contactor (oxygenator).
Membrane partition (distribution) coefficient: Parameter equal to the equilibrium concentration of a component in a membrane divided by the corresponding equilibrium concentration of the component in the external phase in contact with the membrane surface.
Membrane plasmapheresis: Process of separation of blood into plasma and the concentrate of blood corpuscles (erythrocytes, leukocytes etc.) using porous membranes under applied pressure gradient.
Membrane post-treatment: process carried out on a membrane after its essential structure has been formed but prior to its exposure to an actual feed stream.
Membrane potential: The difference in the electric potential across the membrane in the absence of applied electrical field.
Membrane process with phase inversion: Process of membrane separation which is characterized by changes of phase state due to mass transfer across the membtrane. Pervaporation, pertraction, perstraction and membrane distillation belong to the processes with phase inversion.
Membrane reactor: Device for simultaneously carrying out a reaction and membrane-based separation in the same physical enclosure.
Membrane sensor: Membrane based sensitive element of analytical device.
Membrane technology: A field of scientific and technical knowledge related to processes of membrane separation.
Membrane unit: A plant that includes membrane apparatuses and auxiliary equipment.
Membrane: Structure, having lateral dimensions much greater than its thickness, through which mass transfer may occur under a variety of driving forces.
Metallic membrane: Membrane made of metals or alloys; it can have dense (homogeneous) or porous structure.
Microfiltration membrane: Porous membrane with the pores in the range 0,05 – 5 μm used in baromembrane process of microfiltration.
Microfiltration: Pressure-driven membrane-based separation process in which particles and dissolved macromolecules larger than 0.1 µm are rejected.
Mobile carrier: Distinct species moving freely within a membrane for the purpose of increasing the selective sorption and flux of a specific component in a feed stream relative to all other components.
Modification of membranes: Deliberate changes in chemical composition, supramolecular structure or surface properties of membranes.
Molecular-weight cutoff: Characteristics of a porous membrane expressed in molecular mass of dissolved compound with the rejection coefficient of (usually) 90%.
Molecular-weight cutoff: Molecular weight of a solute corresponding to a 90% rejection coefficient for a given membrane.
Morphology of membranes: Structure of membranes on supramolecular level.
