Fouling behavior of microstructured hollow fiber membranes in dead-end filtrations: critical flux determination and NMR imaging of particle deposition.

The fouling behavior of microstructured hollow fibers was investigated in constant flux filtrations of colloidal silica and sodium alginate. It was observed that the fouling resistance increases faster with structured fibers than with round fibers. Reversibility of structured fibers' fouling was similar during silica filtrations and better in sodium alginate filtrations when compared with round fibers.