Effect of electrostatic, hydrodynamic, and Brownian forces on particle trajectories and sieving in normal flow filtration

Particle deposition and fouling are critical factors governing the performance of microfiltration and ultrafiltration systems. Particle trajectories were evaluated by numerical integration of the Langevin equation, accounting for the combined effects of electrostatic repulsion, enhanced hydrodynamic drag, and Brownian diffusion. In the absence of Brownian forces, particles are unable to enter the membrane pores unless the drag associated with the filtration velocity can overcome the electrostatic repulsion. Brownian forces significantly alter this behavior, allowing some particles to enter the pore even at low filtration velocities. The average particle transmission, evaluated from the probability of having a particle enter the pore, increases with increasing filtration velocity due to the greater hydrodynamic drag force on the particle. These results provide important insights into particle behavior in membrane systems.