18 The Israel Chemist and Chemical Engineer Issue 8 · November 2021 · Kislev 5782 History of Chemistry Articles BobWeintraub was born in Brooklyn, New York andmade aliyah in 1975 to Beer Sheva, where he remained. He earned the PhD in Physical Chemistry from MIT and the Diploma in Library Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He held positions in scientific and technical librarianship in industry, hospital and academic institutions. He is now retired. He has an interest in the history of chemistry. Sidney Loeb and the origins of pressure retarded osmosis Bob Weintraub POB 5979, Beer-Sheva 8415901 Email: [email protected] Abstract In 1973, Sidney Loeb invented the process for generating power that he called Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO). PRO was invented under the Israeli government program of applied research for the utilization of arid climates, local raw materials and natural resources. From 2003 to 2013, a major attempt was made to develop PRO into a commercially viable power source but the project was not successful. Advances in membrane and other technologies have now led to renewed interest in its commercialization. The origins of PRO and personal recollections of the author are presented. Introduction Prof. Sidney Loeb (1917-2008) came to Beer-Sheva in 1967 to teach reverse osmosis (RO) technology at the Negev Institutes for AridZone Research, later part of the Ben-GurionUniversity of the Negev (BGU). Loeb is best known as the co-inventor in 1964, together with S. Sourirajan, of practical reverse osmosis, the most important method of water desalination [1]. Later, he made aliya, accepting a position at the newly established BGU. I have previously reported on this period as it relates to Loeb’s work in Israel on RO. The interested reader is referred to that article Chemistry in Israel, December 2001, (8), p 8-9. In 1973, Loeb invented the process for generating power that he called pressure retarded osmosis, or PRO, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The concept of producing power from the mixing of fresh and salt water was first suggested by R. E. Pattle in 1954 [2]. Loeb invented a process to harvest this energy source. Sid and I were close friends and we would discuss the invention. In the mid-1970’s we both worked at the same research center of Ben-Gurion University. I joined the center in 1975 during the time that research on PRO was being carried out. I saw how that unique research environment combined with Sid’s experience on related systems and, most importantly, his engineering genius, all came together in PRO (see Figure 1). The invention met the primary goal of the institute, applied research for the utilization of arid climates, local raw materials and natural resources, to the benefit of both Israel and of other arid areas. https://doi.org/10.51167/ice00010
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