Modeling and Experimental Validation of Electrostatic Effects on Hindered Transport of Spherical and Capsule Shaped Particles across Porous Membranes

摘要

The effect of surface charge on particle rejection from UF and MF membranes has been examined from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. In this work, a computational model was developed to predict the combined effects of steric, hydrodynamic and electrostatic particle - pore wall interactions on the rejection coefficient of spherical and capsule shaped particles from cylindrical pores. The non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was used to determine the electrostatic particle - wall interaction energy, and a computational fluid dynamic model was developed to determine the hydrodynamic particle-pore wall interactions. These were then incorporated in a model of particle transport to calculate rejection. Model results show that particle rejection can be increased significantly when particle and membrane carry like charges.