FLUX DECLINE DURING THE ULTRA-FILTRATION OF DILUTE SI COLLOIDAL SOLUTION WITH HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANE

The ultrafiltration behavior of dilute colloidal solution containing Si particles has been investigated. The experiments in cross flow mode have been performed at different operating condition by using the membrane with 20 kDa cut-off. The flux decline was due to the development of membrane fouling which was a dynamic process of two distinctive stages. For the high trans-membrane pressure, the pore blocking resistance was dominant at the initial period of filtraion and was followed by the cake resistance. And for the low cross flow velocity, the membrane fouling was governed by the cake filtration model at the initial stage of filtration process. Flux jump was observed temporally during the membrane filtration of mixed feed solution.