Fouling behavior of nanoporous ceramic membranes in the filtration of oligosaccharides at different temperatures

Linearly-structured, elastic, and unevenly distributed oligosaccharides affect the durability of membranes owing to fouling. High temperatures are often employed to improve the efficiency and reduce microbial growth in membrane filtration, making it more challenging to address membrane fouling. In this study, the fouling behavior of nanoporous ceramic membranes by oligosaccharides at different temperatures was systematically investigated. The resistance-in-series model and Hermia's models suggested that the cake layer was the primary source of membrane fouling at low temperatures, whereas the additional occurrence of pore blocking at high temperatures contributed to a higher extent of membrane fouling. The elastic deformation of oligosaccharides at high temperatures led to the filling of membrane pores, which was the key factor contributing to a deterioration in the filtration performance. In this case, the matching relationship between the pore size distribution of the membrane and molecular weight distribution of the oligosaccharides was a critical factor when analyzing pore blocking. Small pores and a narrow pore size distribution could resist high-temperature pore blocking. This study provides fundamental insights into membrane fouling caused during the filtration of oligosaccharides, specifically at high temperatures. The findings will also aid in the development of advanced anti-fouling strategies for membrane filtration.