Towards production of second generation P84 OSN membranes and modules for pharmaceutical applications
Author(s)
Lim, Fui Wen
Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis describes the developments that led to the first polymeric OSN membrane and
modules for applications in harsh solvent environments (e.g. DMF and THF), commonly
used in the pharmaceutical industries. The chemical crosslinking of integrally skinned
asymmetric P84 membranes has been shown to significantly enhance the chemical stability of
the membrane thus allowing stable performance in these solvents that solubilise P84. The
main issues relating to the production of the membrane and membrane modules addressed in
this thesis are:
(i) The impact of drying on membrane performance
It was concluded that air-drying of water- and solvent-wetted membranes is not desirable for
maintaining functional performance and that they must be impregnated with a preserving
agent to maintain their properties (chapter 3).
(ii) Development of highly solvent resistant adhesive systems for spiral wound module
It was found that the key parameters influencing solvent stability are the available free
volume in the epoxy adhesive and the functional groups present in the final adhesive
network (chapter 4).
(iii) Optimising the adhesive curing conditions for P84 OSN membrane modules
A compromise need to be made in the curing conditions to achieve a highly solvent resistant
adhesive whilst maintaining the membrane's performance, and a novel curing technique is
also invented (chapter 5).
Finally, chapter 6 describes how these solvent resistant P84 modules prepared using the
knowledge gained from previous chapters can be applied to classic purification processes in
the pharmaceutical industries.
Overall, this thesis demonstrates a significant step forward in the knowledge and
understanding of the formation and use of P84 based OSN membrane and membrane
modules. This will open up more opportunities for applying this emerging separation
technology in the pharmaceutical industry.
modules for applications in harsh solvent environments (e.g. DMF and THF), commonly
used in the pharmaceutical industries. The chemical crosslinking of integrally skinned
asymmetric P84 membranes has been shown to significantly enhance the chemical stability of
the membrane thus allowing stable performance in these solvents that solubilise P84. The
main issues relating to the production of the membrane and membrane modules addressed in
this thesis are:
(i) The impact of drying on membrane performance
It was concluded that air-drying of water- and solvent-wetted membranes is not desirable for
maintaining functional performance and that they must be impregnated with a preserving
agent to maintain their properties (chapter 3).
(ii) Development of highly solvent resistant adhesive systems for spiral wound module
It was found that the key parameters influencing solvent stability are the available free
volume in the epoxy adhesive and the functional groups present in the final adhesive
network (chapter 4).
(iii) Optimising the adhesive curing conditions for P84 OSN membrane modules
A compromise need to be made in the curing conditions to achieve a highly solvent resistant
adhesive whilst maintaining the membrane's performance, and a novel curing technique is
also invented (chapter 5).
Finally, chapter 6 describes how these solvent resistant P84 modules prepared using the
knowledge gained from previous chapters can be applied to classic purification processes in
the pharmaceutical industries.
Overall, this thesis demonstrates a significant step forward in the knowledge and
understanding of the formation and use of P84 based OSN membrane and membrane
modules. This will open up more opportunities for applying this emerging separation
technology in the pharmaceutical industry.
Date Issued
2011-01
Date Awarded
2011-02
Copyright Statement
Attribution NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND)
License URL
Advisor
Livingston, Andrew
Boam, Andrew
Sponsor
Evonik Membrane Extraction Technology Ltd
Creator
Lim, Fui Wen
Publisher Department
Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)