Visual characterization of fouling with bidisperse solution

Ngene, I.S.; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; Weßling, Matthias; Meer, W.G.J. van der

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2010.11.026

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Real membrane materials can also be studied on microfluidic chips by utilizing phase separation micromolding to prepare a porous membrane-like microchannel geometry 12 . When applying bidisperse colloidal dispersions to these microfluidic chips, an amorphous and homogeneous cake layer forms on the feed side of the membrane 13 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidic colloid filtration

Linkhorst

Beckmann

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Filtration of natural and colloidal matter is an essential process in today’s water treatment processes. The colloidal matter is retained with the help of micro- and nanoporous synthetic membranes. Colloids are retained in a “cake layer” – often coined fouling layer. Membrane fouling is the most substantial problem in membrane filtration: colloidal and natural matter build-up leads to an increasing resistance and thus decreasing water transport rate through the membrane. Theoretical models exist to describe macroscopically the hydrodynamic resistance of such transport and rejection phenomena; however, visualization of the various phenomena occurring during colloid retention is extremely demanding. Here we present a microfluidics based methodology to follow filter cake build up as well as transport phenomena occuring inside of the fouling layer. The microfluidic colloidal filtration methodology enables the study of complex colloidal jamming, crystallization and melting processes as well as translocation at the single particle level.

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confidence: 99%

Microfluidic colloid filtration

Linkhorst

Beckmann

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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“…Up to now, the critical number of particles required to clog a pore for a given set of suspension (e.g., DLVO parameters) and membrane (e.g., geometry) properties remains unknown. In a recent publication [8], we have considered the clogging dynamics at the particle level for various flow conditions in very confined situations where the pore height H is only slightly larger than the particle diameter D (1.2 < H/D < 1.75), the pore width being very large compared to its height (W/H > 20). In such a slotted pore geometry we showed that there are two regimes of fouling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Despite these efforts to visualize the fouling process inside model membranes, the dynamics inside a pore at the particle level remain completely unexplored. Almost all the work that has used either microfluidic setups or various kinds of membranes or microsieves onlyfocus on pores that are already partially or completely clogged, thereby ignoring the particle deposition history [3,6,[17][18][19][20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of pore fouling by colloidal particles at the particle level

Dersoir

Schofield

Vincent

et al. 2019

Journal of Membrane Science

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Particle filtration occurs whenever particles flow through porous media such as membrane. Progressive capture or deposition of particles inside porous structure often leads to complete, and generally unwanted, fouling of the pores. Previously there has been no experimental work that has determined the particle dynamics of such a process at the pore level, since imaging the particles individually within the pores remains a challenge. Here, we overcome this issue by flowing fluorescently dyed particles through a model membrane, a microfluidic filter, imaged by a confocal microscope. This setup allows us to determine the temporal evolution of pore fouling at the particle level, from the first captured particle up to complete blocking of the pore. We show that from the very beginning of pore fouling the immobile particles inside the pore significantly participate in the capture of other flowing particles. For the first time it is determined how particles deposit inside the pore and form aggregates that eventually merge and block the pore.

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“…At micrometer scale, idealized membrane mimicking microfluidic devices have been proposed to investigate, for instance, pore geometry in relation to blocking and process optimization, using both hard and deformable particles [28][29][30] (Figure 2, middle line). Finally, at millimeter scale, microfluidic devices have been useful for investigating phenomena related to collective particle behavior, such as surface deposition/cake formation and the (collective) movement of particles in flow [26,34,35] (Figure 2, bottom line). It is good to mention that insights obtained with microfluidics in other fields for example, to study flow [36][37][38] and to separate individual cells [39,40] are very relevant for membrane separation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics Used as a Tool to Understand and Optimize Membrane Filtration Processes

Schroën

2020

Membranes

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Membrane filtration processes are best known for their application in the water, oil, and gas sectors, but also in food production they play an eminent role. Filtration processes are known to suffer from a decrease in efficiency in time due to e.g., particle deposition, also known as fouling and pore blocking. Although these processes are not very well understood at a small scale, smart engineering approaches have been used to keep membrane processes running. Microfluidic devices have been increasingly applied to study membrane filtration processes and accommodate observation and understanding of the filtration process at different scales, from nanometer to millimeter and more. In combination with microscopes and high-speed imaging, microfluidic devices allow real time observation of filtration processes. In this review we will give a general introduction on microfluidic devices used to study membrane filtration behavior, followed by a discussion of how microfluidic devices can be used to understand current challenges. We will then discuss how increased knowledge on fundamental aspects of membrane filtration can help optimize existing processes, before wrapping up with an outlook on future prospects on the use of microfluidics within the field of membrane separation.

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Visual characterization of fouling with bidisperse solution

Cited by 16 publications

References 25 publications

Microfluidic colloid filtration

Microfluidic colloid filtration

Dynamics of pore fouling by colloidal particles at the particle level

Microfluidics Used as a Tool to Understand and Optimize Membrane Filtration Processes

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