Hemodialysis Membrane for Blood Purification Process

This chapter covers the use of a membrane in a conventional hemodialysis process, where the blood of the end-stage renal failure patient is purified. The operational similarity between kidney regulatory mechanism with that of membrane separation process has made the process feasible to replace the function of the kidney. Membranes for hemodialysis are classified as having multiple separation mechanisms such as diffusion and ultrafiltration while utilizing a minimum operating pressure. Like any other separation process using a membrane, hemodialysis requires membrane endowing a set of unique features to ensure the smoothness of the operation. Therefore, a precise tuning is needed which can be achieved by choosing appropriate materials and tailoring the membrane fabrication technique. Throughout this chapter, the properties of hemodialysis membrane and factors influencing hemodialysis membrane properties and performance are critically discussed.