engineering

Membrane Science & Separation Technology

Membrane-based separation processes — reverse osmosis desalination, ultrafiltration for molecular sieving, gas permeation membranes, membrane distillation for thermal separations, and electrodialysis for ion transport — covering transport phenomena, selectivity, and energy efficiency across polymeric and ceramic membrane systems.

membrane sciencereverse osmosisultrafiltrationgas separationmembrane distillationelectrodialysisdesalinationseparation technology

Membrane science lies at the intersection of materials engineering, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena. Semi-permeable membranes selectively allow certain molecules to pass while rejecting others, enabling purification, concentration, and fractionation processes that are far more energy-efficient than traditional thermal separations. From producing drinking water via reverse osmosis to capturing carbon dioxide from flue gas, membrane technology underpins some of the most critical industrial and environmental processes of the 21st century.

These simulations explore the core physics of five major membrane processes: pressure-driven reverse osmosis, size-exclusion ultrafiltration, solution-diffusion gas separation, thermally-driven membrane distillation, and electrically-driven electrodialysis. Adjust transmembrane pressures, feed concentrations, membrane properties, and operating temperatures to observe how flux, rejection, selectivity, and efficiency respond in real time.

5 interactive simulations

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Electrodialysis & Ion Transport

Simulate electrodialysis — explore how voltage, membrane conductivity, and current density drive ion transport and current efficiency in desalination stacks

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Gas Separation Membranes

Simulate gas permeation membranes — explore the permeability-selectivity tradeoff and Robeson upper bound for CO2/N2 and O2/N2 separation

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Membrane Distillation

Simulate thermal membrane distillation — explore how temperature difference, membrane porosity, and pore size drive vapor flux across hydrophobic membranes

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Reverse Osmosis Desalination

Simulate RO desalination — explore how applied pressure, osmotic pressure, and membrane permeability govern water flux and salt rejection

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Ultrafiltration & Molecular Weight Cutoff

Simulate ultrafiltration membranes — explore molecular weight cutoff, pore size, and solute rejection curves for protein and colloid separation