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Related Concept Videos

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...
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Osmosis00:47

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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...
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Osmosis is a process where solvent molecules move toward a solution through a semipermeable membrane. As the solution dilutes due to the entry of solvent, it expands. This expansion increases the hydrostatic pressure of the solution. When the hydrostatic pressure equals the osmotic pressure, osmosis stops.Osmotic pressure, denoted by Π, is the minimum pressure needed to prevent the solvent from passing into the solution by osmosis. The van 't Hoff equation calculates the osmotic pressure of an...
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The cardiovascular system's chief role is to disseminate gases, nutrients, waste, and other substances to the body's cells. Small molecules like gases, lipids, and lipid-soluble substances directly diffuse through capillary wall endothelial cell membranes. Glucose, amino acids, and ions, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride, use transporters for facilitated diffusion via membrane-specific channels. Glucose, ions, and bigger molecules may also pass through intercellular clefts.

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Reverse draw solute permeation in forward osmosis: modeling and experiments.

William A Phillip1, Jui Shan Yong, Menachem Elimelech

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, USA.

Environmental Science & Technology
|June 10, 2010
PubMed
Summary

A new model accurately predicts reverse solute flux in osmotically driven membrane processes. Reverse flux selectivity, crucial for system design, depends only on the membrane

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Area of Science:

  • Membrane science and technology
  • Water treatment technologies
  • Chemical engineering

Background:

  • Osmotically driven membrane processes (ODMPs) are promising for water treatment and desalination.
  • Minimizing reverse solute flux is critical for efficient ODMP operation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a model for reverse draw solute permeation in forward osmosis (FO).
  • To identify key parameters influencing reverse flux selectivity in ODMPs.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a mathematical model for reverse solute permeation across asymmetric membranes in FO.
  • Validated model predictions using experiments with NaCl as the draw solution and a cellulose acetate membrane.
  • Determined membrane transport coefficients independently.

Main Results:

  • The model showed strong agreement with experimental results for NaCl draw solutions.
  • Reverse flux selectivity was found to be independent of draw solution concentration and membrane support structure.
  • The selectivity of the membrane's active layer solely determines reverse flux selectivity.

Conclusions:

  • The developed model accurately describes reverse solute flux in FO.
  • Reverse flux selectivity is a critical design parameter for ODMPs.
  • Membrane active layer selectivity is the primary factor governing reverse flux selectivity.