Pore structure of gel chitosan membranes .3. Pressure-driven mass transport measurements

The capillary pore model of water-swollen gels was used to interpret pressure-driven mass transport properties of gel chitosan membranes. Pure water hydraulic permeability coefficients, L(p), and rejection coefficients, R, of 13 solutes ranging in molecular radius from 2.4 Angstrom (methanol) to 16 Angstrom (polyethylene glycol 6000) were measured for an untreated chitosan membrane, for two chitosan membranes crosslinked with glutaraldehyde of concentrations 0.01 and 0.1 % and coated with a protein, and for comparison for a commercial Cuprophan membrane. Pore radii of the membranes were determined from these results by three methods: (1) L(p) method that uses water hydraulic permeability coefficient, (2) sigma method that uses reflection coefficients, and (3) P/L(p) method that uses water diffusive permeability coefficient and water hydraulic permeability coefficient.