Ultrafiltration membrane performance

Figure 4.11 shows that ultrafiltration and pervaporation for the removal of organic solutes from water are both seriously affected by concentration polarization. In ultrafiltration, the low diffusion coefficient of macromolecules produces a concentration of retained solutes 70 times the bulk solution volume at the membrane surface. At these high concentrations, macromolecules precipitate, forming a gel layer at the membrane surface and reducing flux. The effect of this gel layer on ultrafiltration membrane performance is discussed in Chapter 6. 

Yan, L., Li, Y.S., Xiang, C.B. and Xianda, S. 2006. Effect of nano-sized Al203-particle addition on PVDF ultrafiltration membrane performance. 276(1-2) 162-167. 

V Gekas, G Tragarth, B Hallstram. Ultrafiltration Membrane Performance Fundamentals. Lund Swedish Foundation for Membrane Technology, 1993. 

A key factor determining the performance of ultrafiltration membranes is concentration polarization due to macromolecules retained at the membrane surface. In ultrafiltration, both solvent and macromolecules are carried to the membrane surface by the solution permeating the membrane. Because only the solvent and small solutes permeate the membrane, macromolecular solutes accumulate at the membrane surface. The rate at which the rejected macromolecules can diffuse away from the membrane surface into the bulk solution is relatively low. This means that the concentration of macromolecules at the surface can increase to the point that a gel layer of rejected macromolecules forms on the membrane surface, becoming a secondary barrier to flow through the membrane. In most ultrafiltration appHcations this secondary barrier is the principal resistance to flow through the membrane and dominates the membrane performance. 

SPEC was essentially able to market their Zr02-based ultrafiltration membranes to an already existing market in the sense that these membranes replaced polymeric UF membranes in a number of applications. They also developed a certain number of new applications. For Ceraver, the situation was different. When the Membralox membranes were first developed, microfiltration was performed exclusively with dead-end polymeric cartridge filters. In parallel to the development of inorganic MF membranes, Ceraver initiated the development of cross-flow MF with backflushing as a new industrial process. 

Schwarz, H., V. Kudela, J. Lukas, J. Vaeik and V. Grobc. 1986. Effect of the membrane potential on the performance of ultrafiltration membranes. Collection Czechoslovak Chem Commun, 51 539-44. 

Fig. 4.3 (C) Deconvolution experiments for compound 5, performed as in (B). Round 0 spectra in (B) and (C) likely are more intense in the presence of protein than in its absence due to protein preventing compound binding to the ultrafiltration membrane. Included from [10] with permission from SAGE Publications.

Membrane Properties. The performance range of ammonia-modified membranes in low pressure operation is indicated in Figure 6 along with the performance of the reference membrane (I, reference membrane IV, ammonia-modified membrane). The lower boundary of the performance range refers to a solvent-to-polymer ratio of 3, the upper boundary to a ratio of 4. While the salt rejection towards univalent ions of the ammonia-modified membrane is limited to below 80 %, the maximum low pressure flux is over 15 m /m d (approaching 400 gfd) at a sodium chloride rejection of the order of 10 %. This membrane thus exhibits the flux capability of an ultrafiltration membrane while retaining the features of reverse osmosis membranes, viz. asymmetry and pressure resistance. 

The same nanofiltration experiments were performed with a 50-A ultrafiltration membrane (available from US Filter/Membralox, Warrendale, PA,USA), this time with a monodentate phosphite ligand (24) used for comparison and toluene as the solvent (Table V). Both higher retentions and flux rates for the dendrimers were obtained relative to what was observed with the reverse osmosis membranes. Dendrophite G4 was used in three subsequent reactions carried out with this procedure. 

Membrane reactors can be considered passive or active according to whether the membrane plays the role of a simple physical barrier that retains the free enzyme molecules solubilized in the aqueous phase, or it acts as an immobilization matrix binding physically or chemically the enzyme molecules. Polymer- and ceramic-based micro- and ultrafiltration membranes are used, and particular attention has to be paid to the chemical compatibility between the solvent and the polymeric membranes. Careful, fine control of the transmembrane pressure during operation is also required in order to avoid phase breakthrough, a task that may sometimes prove difficult to perform, particularly when surface active materials are present or formed during biotransformahon. Sihcone-based dense-phase membranes have also been evaluated in whole-cell processes [55, 56], but... 

Figure 2.42 Diagram of the region of nanofiltration membrane performance relative to reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration membranes [74]...

The layer of solution immediately adjacent to the membrane surface becomes depleted in the permeating solute on the feed side of the membrane and enriched in this component on the permeate side. Equivalent gradients also form for the other component. This concentration polarization reduces the permeating component s concentration difference across the membrane, thereby lowering its flux and the membrane selectivity. The importance of concentration polarization depends on the membrane separation process. Concentration polarization can significantly affect membrane performance in reverse osmosis, but it is usually well controlled in industrial systems. On the other hand, membrane performance in ultrafiltration, electrodialysis, and some pervaporation processes is seriously affected by concentration polarization. 

Experience has shown that the best long-term performance of an ultrafiltration membrane is obtained when the applied pressure is maintained at or just below the plateau pressure ps shown in Figure 6.7. Operating at higher pressures does not increase the membrane flux but does increase the thickness and density of retained material at the membrane surface layer. Over time, material on the membrane surface can become compacted or precipitate, forming a layer of deposited material that has a lower permeability the flux then falls from the initial value. 

Regular cleaning is required to maintain the performance of all ultrafiltration membranes. The period of the cleaning cycle can vary from daily for food applications, such as ultrafiltration of whey, to once a month or more for ultrafiltration membranes used as polishing units in ultrapure water systems. A typical cleaning cycle is as follows ... 

Figure 13.2 Schematic drawing of laboratory dialyzer developed by Craig [4] to separate low-molecular-weight impurities from biological solutions. This was the best method of performing this separation until ultrafiltration membranes became available in the late 1960s. The feed solution was circulated through the inside of the membrane tube solvent solution was circulated on the outside. Boundary layer formation was overcome by rotating the outer shell with a small motor...

This work is an extension of previously described studies performed by Nedved, Dollinger, and co-workers (Nedved et al., 1996 Kaur et al., 1997), where ligands are injected onto chromatography columns that contain target proteins to observe various degrees of selection. Compounds that bind to the proteins are selectively bound to the column and are eluted for identification. Other studies have reported on the successful use of ultrafiltration membranes to selectively retain compounds that are bound to target proteins (van Breeman et al., 1997 1998). Unbound molecules pass through the membrane and the bound molecules are released and identified. 

For relatively porous nanofiltration membranes, simple pore flow models based on convective flow will be adapted to incorporate the influence of the parameters mentioned above. The Hagen-Poiseuille model and the Jonsson and Boesen model, which are commonly used for aqueous systems permeating through porous media, such as microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes, take no interaction parameters into account, and the viscosity as the only solvent parameter. It is expected that these equations will be insufficient to describe the performance of solvent resistant nanofiltration membranes. Machado et al. [62] developed a resistance-in-series model based on convective transport of the solvent for the permeation of pure solvents and solvent mixtures ... 

This chapter will focus on three types of membrane extracorporeal devices, hemodialyzers, plasma filters for fractionating blood components, and artificial liver systems. These applications share the same physical principles of mass transfer by diffusion and convection across a microfiltration or ultrafiltration membrane (Figure 18.1). A considerable amount of research and development has been undertaken by membrane and modules manufacturers for producing more biocompatible and permeable membranes, while improving modules performance by optimizing their internal fluid mechanics and their geometry. 

Two main criteria for the membrane selection are pore size and material. As peroxidases usually have sizes in the range of 10-80 kDa, ultrafiltration membranes with a molecular cutoff between 1 and 50 kDa are the most adequate to prevent enzyme leakage [99]. The materials commonly applied to ultrafiltration membranes are synthetic polymers (nylon, polypropylene, polyamide, polysulfone, cellulose and ceramic materials [101]. The adequate material depends on a great number of variables. When enzyme is immobilized into the matrix, this must be prepared at mild conditions to preserve the enzymatic activity. In the case of enzyme immobilization onto the membrane, this should be activated with the reactive groups necessary to interact with the functional groups of the enzyme. If an extractive system is considered, the selection of the hydrophilicity or hydro-phobicity of the membrane should be performed according to the features of reactants, products, and solvents. In any case, the membrane should not interfere with the catalytic integrity of the enzyme. 

Wilson KP, Laver ML, Frederick WJ (1986) Ultrafiltration of kraft black liquor membrane performance and liquor characteristics. Proc AIChE Summer Natl Meet (Boston) Aug 24-27, 1986, Preprint 67c 26p... 

Generally, the effectiveness of the separation is determined not by the membrane itself, but rather by the formation of a secondary or dynamic membrane caused by interactions of the solutes and particles with the membrane. The buildup of a gel layer on the surface of an ultrafiltration membrane owing to rejection of macromolecules can provide the primary separation characteristics of the membrane. Similarly, with colloids suspensions, pore blocking and bridging of pore entries can modify the membrane performance, while molecules of size similar to the membrane pores can adsorb on the pore walls, thereby restricting passage of water and smaller solutes. Media... 

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