A series of mathematical equations have been developed to model the fouling mechanism of depth filters operated at constant flux during clarification of mammalian cell culture. By modifying and manipulating the Darcy’s Law Equation, equations were derived for each of the main filter fouling mechanisms: complete pore plugging, intermediate pore plugging, standard pore plugging, and cake filtration. Considering that the depth filter media consists of a wide range of pore size distribution, it is believed that the depth filter would foul through more than one fouling mechanism at the same time. Thus, equations were also derived for the following combinations of fouling mechanisms: cake-complete plugging, and cake-intermediate plugging. The model equations were fitted to the experimental pressure profiles of the depth filters, and the results for both primary and secondary depth filters indicate that cake-complete was the dominant fouling mechanism for various feed streams. Correlations from literature were used to determine if constant pressure data can be used to predict performance of primary depth filters for constant flux. Fundamental constants characteristic of each mechanism were interpreted. These mathematical models significantly improved prediction of fouling behavior of depth filters that would enable appropriate selection of filters for different feed streams.<br/>

Development of mathematical models to identify the fouling mechanism in depth filters for cell culture clarification

255th National Meeting (2018)

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