Pulsed-electric-field crossflow ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin

Abstract

A conventional crossflow ultrafiltration (CUF) apparatus was modified by the inclusion of electrodes which permitted a pulsed electric field to be produced across the ultrafiltration membrane (PEF-UF process). Using this apparatus, a discontinuous electrophoretic velocity was imposed upon the proteins being concentrated, opposing their convective movement toward the CUF membrane. This resulted in a lower concentration of rejected solute protein in the fluid boundary layer adjacent to the high-pressure side of the membrane and, hence, in a lower solute-related filtration resistance than in the case of conventional ultrafiltration (zero electric field). Studies of the PEF-UF process with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the range of 0.5–5% w/v demonstrated a 25–40% decrease in the solute-related resistance to the permeate flux compared to the case of a zero electric field. Accordingly, higher permeate fluxes and, therefore, higher rates of concentration of the protein solution were obtained than for conventional crossflow ultrafiltration. When the electric field was reimposed following a period of operation under conventional CUF conditions, the permeate flux could be restored to nearly the same higher value observed initially for the PEF-UF process.