Combined Models of Population Balance and Pore-Network to Explore the Mechanism of Protein Fouling in Porous Media

摘要

In this study, the adsorption mechanism of bovine serum albumin on internal surface of membrane, as well as that of intermediate blocking are studied using pore-network model. Accordingly, membrane considered as a network of pore and throats. Determining the flow rate and pressure drop of the system, the equation of convection and diffusion solved simultaneously with a potential term consisting of attachment and detachment of proteins on throats' surface. To study the effect of coordination number on permeability reduction, population balance equation including aggregation term, coupled with pore network model to account for the effect of complete blocking, determining the average size of aggregates. Results showed that the slope of pressure drop curve increases sharply throughout the primary steps of the process. Attaining to a high velocity in throats, called 'critical velocity' causes the partially detachment of deposited proteins. This causes the slope to increase more smoothly. Fitting parameters of the system including release and capture coefficients, were obtained using optimization and introduced as a global term.