• Membrane Journal
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2005

The effects of electrical fields on the efficiencies in ultrafiltration for protein separation were explored. The experiments were proceeded under constant transmembrane pressure (THP) using protein (albumin and lysozyme) solutions. For ultrafiltrations, cellulose membranes with molecular weight cut off (MWCO) 30 kDa were used. It is found that electrical field improved the filtration flux of albumin solution. The electrical field showed another interesting effect for filtration of protein solution. Depending on the electrical charges of protein molecules, the electrical field promoted or hindered the permeation of proteins through membranes. With the effect of electrical field, not only the permeation flux but also the selectivity of ultrafiltration could be improved.