Prediction of the filtrate particle size distribution from the pore size distribution in membrane filtration: Numerical correlations from computer simulations

Norma Alejandra Marrufo-Hernández,Juan Pedro Palomares-Báez,José Manuel Nápoles-Duarte,Maribel Hernández-Guerrero,Marco Antonio Chávez-Rojo

doi:10.1063/1.5009568

Norma Alejandra Marrufo-Hernández, Juan Pedro Palomares-Báez + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5009568

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Abstract

We present a computational model that describes the diffusion of a hard spheres colloidal fluid through a membrane. The membrane matrix is modeled as a series of flat parallel planes with circular pores of different sizes and random spatial distribution. This model was employed to determine how the size distribution of the colloidal filtrate depends on the size distributions of both, the particles in the feed and the pores of the membrane, as well as to describe the filtration kinetics. A Brownian dynamics simulation study considering normal distributions was developed in order to determine empirical correlations between the parameters that characterize these distributions. The model can also be extended to other distributions such as log-normal. This study could, therefore, facilitate the selection of membranes for industrial or scientific filtration processes once the size distribution of the feed is known and the expected characteristics in the filtrate have been defined.

Highlights

Filtration with membranes has become a very important and worldwide used separation technology
The symbols correspond to the simulation results, and the surface is a second-grade fitting, which can be used to predict the parameters of the f-size distribution (SD) for a particular combination of μp and σp
In this work we have studied the influence of the filtration membrane parameters and the initial distribution of the suspended solids of a colloidal fluid on the filtrate particle size distribution with Brownian dynamics simulations

Summary

Introduction

Filtration with membranes has become a very important and worldwide used separation technology. Throughout the separation processes, membrane filtration has shown to be more efficient and cost-effective than other conventional technologies. It has a wide number of applications as it can derive in very specific separations at room temperature. Some studies have focused on the membrane performance under certain working and pressure conditions and their properties. Some of these properties include the membrane material and the pore size distribution; both parameters are somehow related to the membrane efficiency and selectivity.[12]

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