A solution is given for unsteady state concentration profiles in an infinitely long composite cylinder resulting from a step-change in concentration in a large reservoir surrounding the cylinder. The composite cylinder consists of an inner cylinder with diffusivity D1 surrounded by a permeable tube with aliffusivity Dz and has interfacial mass transfer resistapces at the cylinder-tube and tube-reservoir interfaces. Numerical values are given for the first eight roots and various coefficients of the solution for physical properties typical of tubular (hollow fiber) membranes. These results can be used in the analysis of data from unsteady state mass transfer experiments to determine the permeability of homogeneous tubular membranes. A simple, approximate method for data analysis is suggested for the rapid estimation of the permeability of both homogeneous and asymmetric (skinned) tubular membranes.
SCOPEAlthough permeability measurements are routinely made for flat membaanes, no convenient and accurate method is available at present for making these measurements for small tubular (hollow fiber) membranes. I n this paper a method based on an unsteady state diffusion experiment is proposed for measuring the permeability of tubular membranes. The objective of this paper is to present the mathematical analysis which is necessary for the interpretation of the experimental results. A detailed description of the elrperimental method and experimental data will be presented in a subsequent paper.Small tubular membranes are finding increasing use in mass transfer devices such as the artificial kidney and are now being considered for novel applications such as reaction vessels for enzyme-catalyzed reactions. A convenient and accurate method for measuring the permeability of these membranes will be useful for modeling membrane behavior, evaluating candidate membranes for specific applications, optimizing membrane composition and processing conditions, and maintaining quality control during manufacturing. The analysis presented here can easily be applied to the analogous heat transfer problem