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6 .M ic ro fiItr a tion
by W illiam
E y k a m p , U n iv e rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia , B e rk e le y
6 .1
O V E R V IE W
O f
th e
m em b ran e processes
in c lu d e d
i n
th is
s tu d y , m ic ro filtra tio n
is by
fa r
th e
m ost w idely
used, with
to ta l sa le s g re a te r th a n
th e
c o m b in e d
sales of
all the
other m em brane processes covered.
F o r
a ll
i t s
e c o n o m ic
s iz e ,
m icro filtratio n
i s
su rp risin g ly
in v is ib le .
I t
i s
u b iq u ito u s ,
w ith
in n u m e ra b le
s m a ll a p p lic a tio n s .
A
h u g e
fra c tio n
o f
th e
m arket
for m icrofiltration
is for disposable devices, prim arily
for sterile
f i l t r a t i o n
i n
th e
p h a rm a c e u tic a l in d u s try , a n d f o r filtra tio n in s e m ic o n d u c to r fa b ric a tio n
p r o c e s s e s .
T he
heart of
th e
m icro filtratio n
f i e l d
is sterile
filtra tio n ,\u2019
u s in g
m icro filters
w ith
p o r e s
s o
sm all
th a t
m icroorganism s
c a n n o t
p a s s
th ro u g h
th e m .
T h e s e
d is p o s a b le
f i l t e r s ,
ty p ic a lly
i n
th e
fo rm
o f
p le a te d
c a r tr id g e s ,
a re
s o ld
t o
a
v a rie ty
o f
u s e r s ,
b u t
th e
m a jo r
custom er
i s
th e
pharm aceutical
in d u s try .
A lth o u g h
th e re
i s
in te n s e
c o m p e titio n
fo r
n e w
s a le s
i n
th is
m arket,
s ta b le
re la tio n s h ip s b e tw e e n
s u p p lie rs a n d
custom ers are
th e
ru le .
T h e c o s t o f s w itc h in g
t o
a
n e w
s u p p lie r
c a n
b e
h ig h
a n d ,
th u s, th e re
is little
in c e n tiv e
for substitution
of one supplier\u2019s product for another\u2019s.
T he
replacem ent
m arket
fo r
s t e r i l e
f i l t r a t i o n
c a rtrid g e s
i s
q u ite
la rg e .
M icrsfiltratio n
c a rtrid g e s
u s e d
as
vent air filters
m ay
last for
m onths,
b u t
th o s e
u s e d
t o
filte r b a tc h e s o f
liq u id
m ay
h a v e
a useful
life m easured
i n
h o u rs .
T h e s e
m em branes
m ay
s e ll
fo r
l i t t l e
m ore
th a n
f1 0 /ft2 ,
a n
order of
m a g n itu d e
b e le w
som e
o th e r
m em branes
c o v e r e d
i n
th is
re p o rt.
But costs
t o
m anufacture
i n
th e
volumes required
b y
th e
m arket leave
a
h e a lth y
m arg in
for selling costs, research
a n d
d e v e lo p m e n t, a n d p ro fit.
Cash generated
b y
the business, and
th e c o m p e titio n
w ith in
it, provide a steady stream
o f in n o v a tio n in th e in d u s try .
A
s e c o n d
m a jo r a p p lic a tio n
for m icrofilters
is in
th e
e le c tro n ic s
in d u s try
fo r
th e
fa b ric a tio n
o f
sem iconductors.
A s s e m ic o n d u c to r
devices shrink
i n
s iz e ,
th e
c o n d u c tiv e
p a th s
o n
th e ir
s u r f a c e s
g e t
c lo s e r
to g e th e r.
D irt
p a rtic le s
r e p r e s e n t
p o te n tia l
sh o rt
c irc u its
i n
th e
s e m ic o n d u c to r
d e v ic e .
T h e r e f o r e ,
f i l t r a t i o n
o f
v a rio u s
stream s
th ro u g h o u t
th e
m a n u fa c tu rin g
p r o c e s s
is
a
v ita l
c o n c e r n .
F o r
m icro filtratio n
c o m p a n ie s
s c h o o le d
i n
th e
s t e r i l e
f i l t r a t i o n
d is c ip lin e ,
th e
e le c tro n ic s
a p p lic a tio n s
seem ed
m a d e -to -o rd e r.
A
p a rtic u la rly
a ttra c tiv e
a p p lic a tio n
i n
th is
in d u s try
i s
fin a l
f i l t r a t i o n
o f
th e
w a te r
u s e d
t o
r in s e
sem iconductors
d u rin g
fa b ric a tio n .
M ost
o f
th is
w a te r
i s
f i r s t
tre a te d
b y
a
r e v e r s e
osm osis
m em brane.
S in c e
th is
i sa
m uch
fin e r
f i l t e r
th a n
a
m icro filter,
th is
w a te r c o n ta in s
o n ly
a
sm all am ount of
dirt from
th e
p ip in g
a n d
e q u ip m e n t.
Thus, m icrofilters used
i n
th is p ro c e s s h a v e lo n g life tim e s .
Another area
in w h ic h
m icro filtratio n
h a s
b e e n
a p p lie d
i n
th e
s e m ic o n d u c to r
in d u s try
is
i n
f i l t e r i n g
th e
g a s e s
a n d
liq u id s
u s e d
as
re a c ta n ts
i n
m a k in g
a c h ip .
T h e s e c h e m ic a ls
a re
o fte n
v e r y
a g g re s s iv e .
a n d
c a n n o t b e p re filte re d
b y
reverse osm osis m em branes,s o
th e s e
s ]
3 3 0
M e m b ra n e S e p a ra tio n S y s te m s
I n
b o th
o f
th e
m a jo r
m icro filtratio n
a p p lic a tio n s ,
s t e r i l e
f i l t r a t i o n
a n d
s e m ic o n d u c to r
fa b ric a tio n ,
e n e rg y
c o n s id e ra tio n s
a re
le s s
im p o rta n t
th a n
o th e r
is s u e s
s u c h
as
p r o d u c t q u a lity .
Some of
th e
s t e r i l e
m icro filtratio n
a p p lic a tio n s
re p la c e
therm al
s te riliz a tio n .
I n
th e s e
cases, there
is
a
direct energy
s a v in g
i n
the process and an indirect saving through avoidance of heat exchange equipm ent,
w h ic h
h a s
e n e rg y -in te n s iv e
fa b ric a tio n
requirem ents.
E n e rg y
is
a
n e g lig ib le
c o n s id e ra tio n
i n
th e
e le c tro n ic s
a p p lic a tio n s .
O th e r
a p p lic a tio n s
fo r
m icro filtratio n .
p a rtic u la rly
s o m e o f th e e m e rg in g p o te n tia l a p p lic a tio n s , m a y o f f e r
s ig n ific a n t e n e rg y a d v a n ta g e s o v e r a lte rn a tiv e
m ethods.
T h e re fo re ,
th e e m p h a s is
o f
th is
re p o rt
w ill
b e
less on
current dominant
a p p lic a tio n s
o f
m icro filtratio n .
w here
e n e r g y
i s
n o t
a
s ig n ific a n t
is s u e ,
a n d
m ore
o n
le s s
d e v e lo p e d
p ro c e s s
a p p lic a tio n s .
6 .2
D E F IN IT IO N S A N D T H E O R Y
M icro filtratio n
is
a
p ro c e s s
fo r
s e p a ra tin g
m aterial
o f
c o llo id a l
s iz e
a n d
la rg e r
fro m
tru e
s o lu tio n s .
I t
is
u s u a lly
p ra c tic e d
u s in g
m em branes.
I n
th is
re p o rt, o n ly
m icro filtratio n
a c c o m p lis h e d
b y
m em branes
isc o v e r e d .
M icro filters
a re
ty p ic a lly
ra te d
b y
p o re
size. and
b y
c o n v e n tio n
h a v e
p o re
d ia m e te rs
i n
th e
ra n g e
0 .1 -1 0
pm .
A
p h o to m ic ro g ra p h
o f
the surface
o f a typical m icrofiltration
m e m b ra n e is s h o w n in F ig u re 6 -1 .
A m icrofiltration
m e m b ra n e is g e n e ra lly p o ro u s
e n o u g h
t o
p a s s m o le c u le s w h ic h
are in
true solution even
if
th e y
are very
la rg e .
Thus, m icrofilters can be used to sterilize solutions. because they m ay be prepared
w ith
p o re s
sm aller
th a n
0.3
pm ,
th e
d ia m e te r
o f
th e
sm allest
b a c te riu m ,
P s e u d o m o n a s d im in u ta .
T h e re
a re
several key
c h a ra c te ris tic s
n e c e s s a ry
for efficient
m icro filtratio n
m em branes.
T h e s e
a re
(1 )
p o re
s iz e
u n ifo rm ity ,
(2 )
p o re
d e n s ity ,
a n d
(3 )th e
th in n e s s o f th e a c tiv e
la y e r o r th e la y e r in w h ic h
th e p o re s a r e a t th e ir m in im u m
d ia m e te r.
T h e im p a c t o f th e s e p a ra m e te rs o n th e flo w
th ro u g h
the m em brane can
b e
s e e n
b y
e x a m in in g
th e
g o v e rn in g
e q u a tio n
for flow
th ro u g h
th e
p o re s
o f
a
m e m b r a n e , P o is e u ille 's la w :
Q /A
=
[
Cn id :
(1 )
w h ere Q /A
is th e v o lu m e tric flo w
rate per unit m em brane area, A p is the pressure
d ro p
a c ro s s
th e
m em brane,
p
is the
s o lu tio n
v is c o s ity ,
6
isth e
th ic k n e s s o f
th e
a c tiv e
p o re
la y e r,
a n d
d .
is
th e
d ia m e te rs
o f
th e
in d iv id u a l
p o re s
i n
th e
u n it
a re a
A .
M ic ro filtra tio n
3 3 1
F ig u r e6 -1 .
A
s u r f a c e
photom icrograph
o f a typical m icrofiltration
m em brane.
M em brane showni sN y lo n6 6 w ith0 .2p m
p o r e s .
of 00

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