Mass transfer characteristics of vibration assisted protein ultrafiltration

A number of vibratory filtration systems have been developed with significantly enhanced filtrate flux during protein ultrafiltration, but the detailed mass transfer characteristics of these vibratory systems have not been fully analyzed. This study examines the performance of a vibratory membrane filtration device developed by Sani membranes using a combination of experimental and theoretical analyses. Filtration data were obtained with human serum immunoglobin (hIgG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model proteins over a range of transmembrane pressures and vibrational frequencies. The data were analyzed using an osmotic pressure - concentration polarization model that accounts for the effects of the concentration-dependent protein viscosity on the effective shear rate arising from the vibratory motion. Model calculations are in good agreement with experimental data for filtrate flux, properly describing the increase in filtrate flux with increasing vibration frequency as well as the observed maximum in the filtrate flux at intermediate transmembrane pressures. These results provide important insights into the factors that govern the mass transfer characteristics of vibratory membrane filtration systems, highlighting the potential application of this technology for protein concentration with enhanced filtrate flux.