ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Enhancement of Tubular Cross-Flow Microfiltration of Dispersions by Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow

P. Pospíšil, P. Mikulášek, P. Doleček, and J. Cakl

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pardubice, CZ-532 10 Pardubice

E-mail: Petr.Mikulasek@upce.cz

Received: 4 April 2001

Abstract: An application of the gas-liquid two-phase flow for the flux enhancement during the microfiltration of aqueous titanium dioxide dispersions on aluminium oxide tubular membrane has been studied. This study focused on the influence of the liquid and gas flow velocities and feed concentration on the flux and on the development of a mathematical model for the flux prediction. The results of experiments showed a positive effect of the constant gas-liquid two-phase flow on the flux. It might be concluded from the analysis of experimental results based on dead-end filtration model that two-phase flow seemed to expand the particle cake as it increased both the cake porosity and thickness, thus allowing higher fluxes. For the periodical gas flow, the flux enhancement was not so significant and strongly depended on the periodical gas flow mode as well as on the concentration of dispersion used. On the other hand, an air injection influenced the permeate flux for any concentration studied. A mathematical model for the flux prediction during the two-phase gas-liquid microfiltration has been developed. The results showed a good agreement between experimental data and model prediction.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 561a7.pdf

Chemical Papers 56 (1) 7–13 (2002)