EVALUATION OF CROSS-FLOW FILTRATION MODELS BASED ON SHEAR-INDUCED DIFFUSION AND PARTICLE ADHESION - COMPLICATIONS INDUCED BY FEED SUSPENSION POLYDISPERSIVITY

Specific flux data were obtained during the transient period of flux d ecline in laminar crossflow filtration. Effects of hydrodynamics on ca ke parameters such as specific resistance, mass and particle size dist ribution were studied experimentally. An evaluation of crossflow filtr ation models suggests that a model based on shear-induced diffusion [I ] is a better predictor of specific flux decline than a particle adhes ion model [2]. Even for relatively narrowly distributed suspensions, p olydispersivity complicates analyses in a manner that is not adequatel y addressed by these models. Changes in experimental specific cake res istances with module hydrodynamics coupled to the inadequacy of these models for accurately predicting time-dependent specific flux profiles , cake specific resistances, and mass suggests that cake morphology is a key variable that needs to be incorporated in future modeling effor ts. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.