Enhancement of ultrafiltration flux by coupling static turbulence promoter and electric field

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of the static metal deployed sheet on the performance of the ultrafiltration process. The sheet was first utilised to provoke turbulence near the membrane, and at the same time as an anode to create an electric field. It was shown that the electro-ultrafiltration module was more efficient for both low crossflow velocity and BSA initial concentration. The global hydraulic membrane resistance may be reduced by half in all cases. The polarisation layer and fouling membrane appeared reversible phenomena, which may be controlled by appropriate electric field strength.