Patent ID: 7314565

Claim:
A method for separating desired components from a liquid feed stream comprising: (a) conducting the liquid feed stream into a retentate zone of a wafer assembly wherein the wafer assembly is comprised of a wafer and a thin film polymer membrane mechanically supported by the wafer, the thin film polymer membrane being selective for permeation of a desired component and having an upstream side and a downstream side; (b) heating a retentate in the retentate zone; (c) heating a permeate stream in a permeate zone; and (d) establishing a concentration gradient in the desired component across the membrane in order to cause permeation of the desired component from the upstream side to the downstream side of the thin film polymer membrane and into a permeate zone in fluid contact with the downstream side of the thin film polymer membrane, wherein the downstream side is maintained at a second temperature above a first temperature, the first temperature being a characteristic of adiabatic cooling.