Liquid filtration solvent flux

In liquid filtration using micro-, ultra-, and nanofiltration porous membranes, the driving force for transport is a pressure gradient. Solvent permeability and separation selectivity are the two main factors characterizing membrane performance. Convective flux is predominant with macroporous and mesoporous membrane strucmres, the selectivity being controlled by a... 

Rivet P., 1981. Guide de la Separation Liquide-Solide, Socidtd Fran9aise de Filtration. Robinson J.P., Tarleton E.S., Millington C.R. and Nijmeijer A., 2004. Solvent flux through dense polymeric nanofiltration membranes, J. Mem. ScL, 230, 29-37. 

Aimar et al. [19] noted that in the UF of complex liquids, such as cheese whey, which contains proteins, salts and casein fragments, concentration polarization, and adsorption and cake formation play a role in flux behavior during crossflow filtration. They may induce osmotic pressure in the retentate side since the chemical potential of the solute-rich polarized layer is lower than that of the permeate, and therefore at equilibrium, a positive osmotic pressure develops in the retentate to equal that of the permeate. The smaller the solute, the greater is its contribution to the osmotic pressure of the liquid, so that in milk, lactose and the minerals have the biggest contribution to osmotic pressure. In skim milk or whey, the osmotic pressure is around 7 bar (700 kPa) and this must be exceeded in RO to commence permeation in UF, only the proteins contribute to the osmotic pressure, which increases exponentially with protein concentration [56]. In any case, a TMP greater than the osmotic pressure is required for solvent to flow from the retentate side to the permeate side. This leads to the reduction in the effectiveness of applied TMP as driving force to permeation. 

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