Model for colloidal fouling of membrane
Résumé
A proposed theoretical model describes colloids deposition on a membrane surface accounting for surface interactions. A mass transfer equation links the deposition rate to the hydrodynamic conditions (permeation and tangential flow a boundary layer thickness) and to physicochemical properties of the suspension (diffusion and potential barrier between particles, VB). This equation predicts the existence of a critical flux, Jcrit for ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis or microfiltration of large size colloids as : Jcrit=D/d(ln(VB/d) Some of the trends observed when processing protein solutions are explained by this model. Previous experimental data for various colloids or our data with a clay suspension in the presence of electrolytes are also compared to predictions of our model. It explains the flux anamaly for particles between ten nanometers and one micrometer