Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation of membrane fouling at the microscale using isopore filters

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Investigations of membrane fouling at the pore-scale have long been of limited interest due to microstructural defects of the commercial membranes that prevent any quantitative analysis of the experimental results. In this paper, we employed novel microengineered membranes with regular pore size to investigate the effect of the membrane pore geometry on the fouling mechanisms during filtration of micron-sized particles. For particles larger than the membrane pore size, the fouling mechanism was pore blockage followed by the cake filtration, while pore narrowing was the dominant mechanism when particles were smaller than the membrane pore size. Filtration with the slotted pore membrane offers some interesting advantages comparing to the filtration with circular pores. The rate of flux decline was slower for the membrane with slotted pores compared with the membrane with circular pores since the initial particle deposition only covered a small fraction of the pores. It was also found that the flow resistance of the slotted pore membrane is much lower than the circular one because a slotted pore has a smaller perimeter than several circular pores with the same total surface area. We can conclude that by proper selection of membrane pore geometry, flux decline can be hindered while maintaining a high selectivity during microfiltration. These findings can be useful also for researchers who are using microfluidic platforms with integrated isopore filters for various applications such as stem cell enrichment, cancer cell isolation, blood fractionation and pathogen removal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bacchin P, Aimar P, Sanchez V (1995) Model for colloidal fouling of membranes. AIChE J 41(2):368–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bacchin P, Marty A, Duru P, Meireles M, Aimar P (2011) Colloidal surface interactions and membrane fouling: investigations at pore scale. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 164(1):2–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker RW (2004) Membrane technology and applications, 2nd edn. Wiely, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brans G, van Dinther A, Odum B, Schroën C, Boom R (2007) Transmission and fractionation of micro-sized particle suspensions. J Membr Sci 290(1–2):230–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bromley A, Holdich R, Cumming I (2002) Particulate fouling of surface microfilters with slotted and circular pore geometry. J Membr Sci 196(1):27–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler M, Zydney A (2006) Effects of membrane pore geometry on fouling behavior during yeast cell microfiltration. J Membr Sci 285(1–2):334–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, Warkiani ME, Liu H-B, Gong H-Q (2010) Polymeric micro-filter manufactured by a dissolving mold technique. J Micromech Microeng 20(7):075005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coumans FA, van Dalum G, Beck M, Terstappen LW (2013) Filter characteristics influencing circulating tumor cell enrichment from whole blood. PLoS ONE 8(4):e61770

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dubitsky A, DeCollibus D, Ortolano GA (2002) Sensitive fluorescent detection of protein on nylon membranes. J Biochem Biophys Methods 51(1):47–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duclos-Orsello C, Li W, Ho CC (2006) A three mechanism model to describe fouling of microfiltration membranes. J Membr Sci 280(1–2):856–866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fane A, Fell C (1987) A review of fouling and fouling control in ultrafiltration. Desalination 62:117–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giacomini KM, Huang SM, Tweedie DJ, Benet LZ, Brouwer KLR, Chu X, Dahlin A, Evers R, Fischer V, Hillgren KM (2010) Membrane transporters in drug development. Nat Rev Drug Discovery 9(3):215–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gironès M (2005) Inorganic and polymeric microsieves, strategies to reduce fouling. PhD Dissertation, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, vol 199, issue number 1–2, pp 41–52

  • Hermans P, Bredée H (1936) Principles of the mathematical treatment of constant-pressure filtration. J Soc Chem Ind 55:1T–4T

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho CC, Zydney AL (1999) Effect of membrane morphology on the initial rate of protein fouling during microfiltration. J Membr Sci 155(2):261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho CC, Zydney AL (2002) Transmembrane pressure profiles during constant flux microfiltration of bovine serum albumin. J Membr Sci 209(2):363–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang KJ, Lin TT (2002) Effect of morphology of polymeric membrane on the performance of cross-flow microfiltration. J Membr Sci 199(1–2):41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iscan AG, Civan F, Kok MV (2007) Alteration of permeability by drilling fluid invasion and flow reversal. J Petrol Sci Eng 58(1):227–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson EA, Hillmyer MA (2010) Nanoporous membranes derived from block copolymers: from drug delivery to water filtration. ACS Nano 4(7):3548–3553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ji HM, Samper V, Chen Y, Heng CK, Lim TM, Yobas L (2008) Silicon-based microfilters for whole blood cell separation. Biomed Microdevices 10(2):251–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuiper S, Van Rijn CJM, Nijdam W, Elwenspoek MC (1998) Development and applications of very high flux microfiltration membranes. J Membr Sci 150(1):1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuiper S, Brink R, Nijdam W, Krijnen G, Elwenspoek M (2002a) Ceramic microsieves: influence of perforation shape and distribution on flow resistance and membrane strength. J Membr Sci 196(2):149–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuiper S, Van Rijn C, Nijdam W, Raspe O, Van Wolferen H, Krijnen G, Elwenspoek M (2002b) Filtration of lager beer with microsieves: flux, permeate haze and in-line microscope observations. J Membr Sci 196(2):159–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Fane A, Coster H, Vigneswaran S (1998) Direct observation of particle deposition on the membrane surface during crossflow microfiltration. J Membr Sci 149(1):83–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin J, Bourrier D, Dilhan M, Duru P (2009) Particle deposition onto a microsieve. Phys Fluids 21:073301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ognier S, Wisniewski C, Grasmick A (2002) Characterisation and modelling of fouling in membrane bioreactors. Desalination 146(1–3):141–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran V, Fogler HS (1999) Plugging by hydrodynamic bridging during flow of stable colloidal particles within cylindrical pores. J Fluid Mech 385:129–156

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Sano T, Iguchi N, Iida K, Sakamoto T, Baba M, Kawaura H (2003) Size-exclusion chromatography using self-organized nanopores in anodic porous alumina. Appl Phys Lett 83:4438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taheri AH, Sim LN, Haur CT, Akhondi E, Fane AG (2013) The fouling potential of colloidal silica and humic acid and their mixtures. J Membr Sci 433:112–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venkatesan BM, Dorvel B, Yemenicioglu S, Watkins N, Petrov I, Bashir R (2009) Highly sensitive, mechanically stable nanopore sensors for DNA analysis. Adv Mater 21(27):2771–2776

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani M, Gong H (2014) Micro-fabricated membranes with regular pores for efficient pathogen removal. In: The 15th international conference on biomedical engineering, 2014. Springer, Berlin, pp 424–427

  • Warkiani ME, Chen L, Lou CP, Liu HB, Rui Z, Gong HQ (2011a) Capturing and recovering of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with polymeric micro-fabricated filter. J Membr Sci 369:560–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani ME, Lou C-P, Gong H-Q (2011b) Fabrication of multi-layer polymeric micro-sieve having narrow slot pores with conventional ultraviolet-lithography and micro-fabrication techniques. Biomicrofluidics 5:036504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani ME, Lou CP, Gong HQ (2011c) Fabrication and characterization of a microporous polymeric micro-filter for isolation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. J Micromech Microeng 21:035002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani ME, Gong HQ, Fane A (2012a) Surface modification of micro/nano-fabricated filters. Key Eng Mater 508:87–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani ME, Lou CP, Liu HB, Gong HQ (2012) A high-flux isopore micro-fabricated membrane for effective concentration and recovering of waterborne pathogens. Biomed Microdevices 14:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warkiani ME, Bhagat AAS, Khoo BL, Han J, Lim CT, Gong HQ, Fane AG (2013) Isoporous micro/nanoengineered membranes. ACS Nano 7(3):1882–1904

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright D, Rajalingam B, Karp JM, Selvarasah S, Ling Y, Yeh J, Langer R, Dokmeci MR, Khademhosseini A (2008) Reusable, reversibly sealable parylene membranes for cell and protein patterning. J Biomed Mater Res Part A 85(2):530–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang SY, Ryu I, Kim HY, Kim JK, Jang SK, Russell TP (2006) Nanoporous membranes with ultrahigh selectivity and flux for the filtration of viruses. Adv Mater 18(6):709–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Fane A, Law A (2006) Critical flux and particle deposition of bidisperse suspensions during crossflow microfiltration. J Membr Sci 282(1–2):189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Environment and Water Industry Programme Office of Singapore under the Project Grant MEWR 651/06/170.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Filicia Wicaksana

    Present address: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Australian Center for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

    Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani

  2. Singapore Membrane Technology Centre (SMTC), Singapore, Singapore

    Filicia Wicaksana & Anthony Gordon Fane

  3. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 637723, Singapore

    Anthony Gordon Fane

  4. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Hai-Qing Gong

Authors
  1. Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Filicia Wicaksana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anthony Gordon Fane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hai-Qing Gong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Warkiani, M.E., Wicaksana, F., Fane, A.G. et al. Investigation of membrane fouling at the microscale using isopore filters. Microfluid Nanofluid 19, 307–315 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-014-1538-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-014-1538-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation