PROTEIN ADSORPTION AND FOULING OF CERAMIC MEMBRANES AS MEASURED BY SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY WITH DIGITAL X-RAY MAPPING

Abstract

A technique for studying fouling in ceramic membranes using the energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy capability of an electron microscope is described. The location and amount of foulant within the membrane are presented on a digital x-ray map showing elements constituent to or stained on the foulant. Fouling of alumina membranes during filtration of the protein hemoglobin has been studied as a function of filtration time, pH, and membrane pore size. After each filtration run, the protein within a piece of the membrane was stained with phosphotungstic acid and located on a digital map of either phosphorus or tungsten. For a 0.2 μm pore size membrane, time dependent fouling was observed consistent with an observed flux decline within the first few minutes of filtration. A pH dependence was also observed indicating much greater fouling at pH 6.9 near the protein isoelectric point than at pH 8.5. This observation is consistent with pH dependent adsorption, flux, and rejection studies. No internal fouling was observed for a 40 Å pore size membrane, which is consistent with the size of hemoglobin in solution being larger than the 40 Å pores and with the fact that the 40 Å membrane can be more easily cleaned after use than can the 0.2 μm membrane.