INFLUENCE OF PROTEIN ADSORPTION ON FLOW RESISTANCE OF MICROFILTRATIONMEMBRANE

It is well known that the flow resistace and sieving property of a mem brane change when protein adsorption, which is a specific interaction between the protein and membrane, occurs within the pores. The influen ce of the protein adsorption on the membrane hydraulic permeability wa s examined using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the model protein and a nitrocellulose microfiltration membrane. The Kozeny-Carman equation, which has been applied to the laminar flow in a granular bed, was empl oyed for the description of the flow property of the tortuous pore mem branes. The flow resistance of the membrane after BSA adsorption was w ell evaluated from the reduced porosity due to the protein adsorption in the pores. Also, the equivalent diameter of the pore space of both the clean and preadsorbed membranes was evaluated by introducing the e xpression for the hydraulic mean diameter. Furthermore, it was found t hat a more significant protein adsorption at around the isoelectric po int brings about a larger increase of the flow resistance of the pread sorbed membrane.