CONTACT ANGLES OF ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANES AND THEIR POSSIBLE CORRELATION TO MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE

The captive bubble method was used to describe the wetting characteristics of a number of commercial ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. The membranes belonged to one of two homologous (same material, different cut-off ) series made by the same manufacturer. One series was made of polysulphone and the other one of cellulose triacetate. The porosimetric characteristics of the membranes have also been measured. The combined data were used to explain the fouling behaviour of the membranes upon ultrafiltration of solutions containing dextran, whey protein concentrate and silicate sols. The cellulose triacetate series is characterized by lower receding contact angle and smaller contact angle hysteresis and shows better flux behaviour (permeate flux during UF and pure water flux recovery at the end of UF) than the polysulphone series. Within the same series the mean permeability pore size shows a better correlation with membrane flux behaviour than with contact angle hysteresis.