Experimental and theoretical study on the effectiveness of vacuum in osmotic membrane distillation.

The possibility of creating a vacuum in a membrane and maintaining the vacuum for many days during the osmotic membrane distillation (OMD) process has been experimentally shown. The limiting parameters of OMD with a vacuum have been evaluated as functions of external pressure, temperature, and temperature differential across the membrane. Equations and plots for calculation of the osmotic pressure and the temperature difference that stops the OMD process are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]