Kinetic study of membrane fouling under cross-flow ultrafiltration operation

TLDR: In this paper, a mathematical model was derived to describe the variation of permeate flux with time under cross-flow ultra-filtration operation, and an analysis was conducted theoretically on the whole process of membrane fouling from the non-equilibrium state at the beginning to the final equilibrium state in an operation cycle.

Abstract: On the basis of mass balance of particles in the cake layer in the processes of advective transport towards membrane,diffusive transport from membrane and accumulation of particles in the cake layer,a mathematical model was derived to describe the variation of permeate flux with time under cross-flow ultrafiltration operation.In this model,r c,the specific resistance of the cake layer and D,the diffusion coefficient,both of which are often difficult to calculate,are included in two empirical parameters a and b.By simple experiment,a and b can be readily determined and kinetic simulation of a cross-flow ultrafiltration process is made possible.The simulation results fit experimental data well and an analysis is conducted theoretically on the whole process of membrane fouling from the non-equilibrium state at the beginning to the final equilibrium state at the end of an operation cycle,and on the influence of transmembrane pressure and shearing rate on the permeate flux.