Membrane separation and liquid extraction processes

This teaching unit focuses on membrane separation processes and liquid-liquid extraction. The part on membrane separation processes will first deal with classical liquid phase separation processes (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, ...) and gas treatment. The more innovative processes such as contactors and membrane reactors will be treated in a second part. The part on liquid-liquid extraction processes will first of all give some generalities allowing to understand the PUREX process set up for the reprocessing of spent fuel. A last part will deal with the modelling methods of liquid-liquid extraction operations.

Hourly volumes* :

            CM : 12h

            TD : 8h

The objective of this teaching unit is to provide knowledge about membrane separation processes by first addressing the classical processes and then developing more innovative processes such as contactors and membrane reactors. The second part of this teaching unit deals with separation processes by liquid-liquid extraction.

Kinetics and thermodynamics of liquid-liquid extraction

Final test

1. Membrane separation processes:

• Introduction to membrane function
• Classical processes:
• Liquid phase separation: microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO)
• Different filtration modes
• Electrical effects and their role in nanofiltration
• Pervaporation
• Gas treatment by membranes
• Contactors and membrane reactors :
• Membrane contactors: "a new philosophy
• Membrane chemical reactors
• Biological membrane reactors

1. Liquid-liquid extraction processes:

• General :
• Principle and objectives of L/L extraction
• Different types of solvents
• Indispensable sizes in L/L extraction
• Equilibria and representation of equilibria
• Successive co-current, cross-current and counter-current operations
• Different types of devices
• Example of the PUREX process:
• Industrial constraints
• Choice of solvent and equipment
• Main steps of U and Pu purification by L/L extraction
• Modeling L/L extraction operations: 
• McCabe and Thiele's resolution methods. Performance limits
• The PAREX code. Phenomenological analysis. Modeling of elementary phenomena. Numerical resolution. Qualification of the code. Applications

Administrative contact(s): Secretariat Master Chemistry

master-chimie @ umontpellier.fr (master-chimie @ umontpellier.fr)