Investigation of the dielectric properties of nanofiltration membranes Original Research Article

Membrane nanofiltration is extremely complex and is dependent on the micro-hydrodynamics and interfacial events occurring at the membrane surface and within the membrane nanopores. There is significant debate as to the exact nature of these complex phenomena and rejection is typically attributed to a combination of steric and electrical effects. The electrical effects are less well understood and in particular the contribution of dielectric exclusion. There is a real need to determine a suitable description for dielectric exclusion for use in membrane modelling for the ab initio design and development of new membrane separation processes and for the scale up and optimisation of existing processes.