Study of evaporation efficiency in membrane distillation

Membrane distillation experiments have been carried out by using a PTFE porous hydrophobic membrane and sodium chloride aqueous solutions. The effects of temperature, feed concentration and flow rate on permeate flux and heat lost by conduction through the membrane have been studied in a direct contact-type module. A method is introduced that allows the relation between the membrane thermal conductivity and the membrane permeability to be calculated.