Antimicrobial Modified Microporous Membrane

Microfiltration (MF) membranes are used to effectively sterilize effluent by removing microorganisms through size exclusion. This study illustrates the use of  antimicrobial additives to address retrograde contamination and potential fouling by microoganisms. By bacteria recovery challenge, the antimicrobial efficacy of the modified MF membranes has been found to be driven by the concentration and particle size of the additives. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that a bilayer MF membrane containing such particles in a single layer at an effective concentration remains effective regardless of layer orientation. Such membrane may be used to control the development of biofilms in filtration applications as well as to ensure the continued availability of sterile effluent. Furthermore it has been shown that additives can be incorporated into MF membranes without disrupting form or function.