Membrane adhesives

Abstract

The adhesive seal between membranes and their housing has a vital role to play in any membrane application, as it ensures the product and feed streams do not mix and that pressure can be maintained. In many applications, the adhesive seal is a major source of membrane module failure and can dictate the operational life of a module. Hence, understanding adhesives in membrane systems is fundamental in ensuring both separation performance and durability; however, this field has been widely overlooked in the literature. This paper attempts to rectify this by discussing in depth adhesive theory and factors that will maximize the adhesion strength, relative to membrane technology. Also highlighted..