MICROFILTRATION OF OIL-IN-WATER EMULSIONS

Effects of transmembrane pressure and membrane pore size on the microf iltration of oil-in-water emulsions are reported. A model for calculat ing the critical pressure required to force the entry of an oil drop i nto a membrane pore is formulated based on the Young-Laplace equation and serves as the basis for analyzing the rejection of emulsified mate rials by microfiltration membranes. This critical pressure appears to be a reasonable predictor of the operating pressure at which oil drops are no longer rejected by the membrane and their penetaration leads t o membrane fouling.