Published on IDRA Global Connections Winter 2021 Issue

By Sidney Loeb, Desalination, vol. 1 (1966) pp. 35–49

Nominated by: Miriam Balaban Desalination, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus (1966–2009), Desalination and Water Treatment, Editor-in-Chief (2009 to date). Secretary General EDS, Research Associate MIT
balabanmiriam@gmail.com, balaban@mit.edu

One of the first papers I published in Volume 1 of Desalination was this paper by Sidney Loeb. His greatest pride was the plant at Coalinga (Coaling Station A), CA since it did not only describe the technology but proved that fresh water could be produced from a plant using synthetic RO tubular membranes from a cellulose acetate polymer membrane. He described techniques for fabricating a composite tubular assembly.

For the rest of his life at many of the conferences which he attended, Sid displayed the plaque which hung in the plant because it was there
that he not only proved that the technology could work, but most meaningful since it could open a way in which RO could provide water to a
thirsty world.

Sid Loeb noted that anisotropy is the seminal feature to the success of RO desalination, and has been a major contributor to the general
surge of interest in, and applications of membrane separation processes. The first test with an anisotropic membrane (not known at the time) was close to being a success. The second test (from the same membrane sheet) was a dismal failure with subsequent tests being equally good or very bad in random fashion, as if flipping a coin. He finally speculated that one side of the membrane was different from the other and that was it. The side facing the air during casting on a glass plate had to be in contact with the saline solution during service.

He went on to develop reverse osmosis research and propose new ideas such as pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis.

He published many other papers in Desalination and in other journals, but this pioneering paper was most significant for him. Not long before
he passed away, Sid left me all his papers from which I published “The Collected Papers of Sidney Loeb 1917–2008” now available online
(www.desline.com, www.deswater.com).

Having reviewed and published over 20,000 papers over half a century, it is difficult to choose favorites. However, I will mention authors of some of the first significant papers: R.L. Riley, M.N. Ali El-Saie, K.S. Spiegler and O. Kedem, U. Merten, H. Lonsdale, D. Othmer and others.

Comments
I was pleased to see that Prof. John Lienhard chose Prof. Robert Silver and Prof. Yehia M. El Sayed, pioneers in the field of desalination.
Both were very significant to me.

I first met Prof. Silver at the memorable First International conference on Fresh Water from the Sea in Athens. He invited me to dinner and made sure that I knew that King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England. This was the beginning of a life long friendship during which we discussed not only MSF and served on Dechema Committee on Fresh Water from the Sea, but also literature. He gave me the books
he authored: The Bruce, Robert I King of Scots, a play and Poems: Conflict and Contexta and even music which he composed and sang to me over the phone, in his last days in the isle of Mull, Scotland.

I also enjoyed collaboration with Prof. Yehia M. El Sayed and Prof. K.S. Spiegler whose book I published.

Desalination Primer
Introductory book for students and newcomers to desalination. I wish to note that I greatly enjoyed collaboration with Prof. John Lienhard from
his entrance into the field of desalination and swiftly becoming a major player in the field. He sustains the significant contributions of MIT from Prof. Ronald Probstein, Bill Katz, Frank Leitz and others.