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Related Concept Videos

Osmosis01:30

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of free water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.  The water's concentration gradient across the membrane is inversely proportional to the solutes' concentration. Whereas diffusion transports material across membranes and within cells, osmosis transports only water across a membrane, and the membrane limits the diffusion of solutes in the water. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion.
Water, like other substances, moves from a high concentration of free water...
Osmosis00:47

Osmosis

Approximately 60% to 95% of the weight of living organisms is attributed to water. Therefore, maintaining appropriate water balance within cells is of paramount importance. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell’s plasma membrane. In living organisms, water plays a crucial role as a solvent—a molecule that dissolves other molecules.Diffusion Versus OsmosisBoth diffusion and osmosis are types of passive transport—cellular transport that does not require...
Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions02:40

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions

A number of natural and synthetic materials exhibit selective permeation, meaning that only molecules or ions of a certain size, shape, polarity, charge, and so forth, are capable of passing through (permeating) the material. Biological cell membranes provide elegant examples of selective permeation in nature, while dialysis tubing used to remove metabolic wastes from blood is a more simplistic technological example. Regardless of how they may be fabricated, these materials are generally...
Facilitated Transport01:19

Facilitated Transport

The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In  facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a membrane via...
Facilitated Transport01:19

Facilitated Transport

The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a membrane via...
Facilitated Transport01:19

Facilitated Transport

The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In  facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a membrane via...

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Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution
11:55

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution

Published on: August 16, 2016

Solute coupled diffusion in osmotically driven membrane processes.

Nathan T Hancock1, Tzahi Y Cath

  • 1Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.

Environmental Science & Technology
|September 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Forward osmosis (FO) is a water treatment technology. This study reveals that solute diffusion through FO membranes can range from 80 to 3,000 mg/L, impacting process sustainability.

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Area of Science:

  • Water Treatment Technologies
  • Membrane Science
  • Environmental Engineering

Background:

  • Forward osmosis (FO) is an emerging technology for water treatment, including desalination and wastewater reclamation.
  • The FO process involves water transport across a semipermeable membrane driven by osmotic pressure.
  • Solute diffusion across the membrane, in both directions, is a critical challenge affecting FO performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively investigate the effects of operating conditions on solute diffusion in FO.
  • To quantify forward diffusion of brackish water and seawater solutes.
  • To quantify reverse diffusion of draw solution solutes.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental analysis of solute transport across commercially available FO membranes.
  • Systematic variation of operating conditions to assess their impact on diffusion rates.
  • Measurement of solute concentrations in permeate and draw solutions.

Main Results:

  • Reverse solute transport through FO membranes varied significantly, from 80 mg/L to nearly 3,000 mg/L of produced water.
  • Divalent feed solutes exhibited low permeation rates (< 1 mmol/m2-hr).
  • Monovalent ions and uncharged solutes demonstrated higher permeation rates compared to divalent solutes.

Conclusions:

  • Solute diffusion is a significant factor influencing the efficiency and sustainability of forward osmosis.
  • Understanding and controlling solute transport is crucial for optimizing FO process design and application.
  • Findings provide critical data for the advancement of FO technology in water treatment and reclamation.