Removal of industrial latex dispersions from waste waters using microporous alumina membranes

✍ Scribed by Petr Mikulášek; Jiří Cakl

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 563 KB
• Volume: 95
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0011-9164
• DOI: 10.1016/0011-9164(94)00015-8

✦ Synopsis

A study has been made on the utilization of alumina membranes for the microfiltration of dilute latex dispersions in latex production. In this operation tubular microfiltration membranes were used with the mean pore diameter equal to 0.1 pm. Feed circulation velocities ranging from 0.4-3.6 m/s (Reynolds number, Re=2,200-20,000) were investigated. It has been shown that the ceramic membranes used are acceptable for microfiltration of industrial waste water containing poly(viny1 acetate) and acrylic copolymer latex dispersions. A limiting flux was observed which depended on the species of the latexes and on the flow velocity of the feed. The decrease in the flux of permeate was attributed to the resistance of the cake (gel) layer formed on the membrane or blocking of the pores in the membrane. Several technical parameters of interest such as flux characteristics, membrane fouling, and latex stability are discussed.