MICROPOROUS HOLLOW FIBERS FOR GAS ABSORPTION I. MASS TRANSFER IN THE LIQUID AND II. MASS TRANSFER ACROSS THE MEMBRANES.

This paper compares gas absorption in microporous hollow fiber membrane modules with that possible in packed towers. Such fibers are not selective. They offer a substantial advantage and a significant disadvantage over mass transfer in packed towers. The advantage is that the hollow fiber modules provide a much larger surface area per volume than packed towers. This increased area makes the mass transfer faster. The disadvantage is that the fibers supply a new mass transfer resistance, that of the membrane, which is not present in packed towers. This new resistance may make the mass transfer slower and less selective.