A method for prediction of the gel concentration in macromolecular ultrafiltration

Authors
Citation
Sk. Karode, A method for prediction of the gel concentration in macromolecular ultrafiltration, J MEMBR SCI, 171(1), 2000, pp. 131-139
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
Chemistry,"Chemical Engineering
Journal title
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
ISSN journal
03767388 → ACNP
Volume
171
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
131 - 139
Database
ISI
SICI code
0376-7388(20000615)171:1<131:AMFPOT>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
A method is proposed for a priori estimation of the important 'gel' concent ration in macromolecular ultrafiltration, which, historically, has always b een calculated by fitting a mathematical model to experimental ultrafiltrat ion data. The method based on the lattice-fluid-hydrogen-bond (LFHB) theory for phase behavior is shown to predict the same qualitative behavior of th e variation of poly-ethylene-glycol (PEG) osmotic pressure with molecular w eight of PEG and its concentration as the experimentally measured trend rep orted in the literature. The solubility limit (lower branch of the binodal envelope) for PEG (6000 kDa) is predicted to be similar to 340 kg/m(3). The corresponding high polymer concentration branch of the binodal is predicte d to be at a polymer volume fraction of 0.84 which is the predicted 'gel' c oncentration for PEG. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.