title: Optimized Porous Anodic Alumina Membranes for Water Ultrafiltration of Pathogenic Bacteria (E. coli).
abstract: In this paper, we present the optimization of porous anodic alumina membranes for ultrafiltration prepared by anodically oxidized aluminum foils. The membranes were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy to measure the pore diameter and the membrane thicknesses. The liquid fluxes were estimated through gas permeability measurements using Darcy's and Forchheimerś equations. A 2(3) factorial design we used to optimize the membrane properties: pore diameter, membrane thickness, and liquid flux using as control variables the applied current density, solution composition and concentration. It was observed that the most import variables to control the pore diameter were current density and electrolyte composition. After the anodization both, metallic aluminum substrate and the barrier layer of alumina were removed using adequate solutions to obtain the free standing membrane. Then, Escherichia coli a common bacterial contamination of drinking water was removed using these PAA membranes with 100% of efficiency to obtain bacteria-free water.
authors.forename: Alexsandro Mendes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Zimer
authors.forename: Maria Manuela P
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Lázaro José
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dalla Costa Júnior
authors.forename: Priscila Tomie Leme
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ike
authors.lastname: Iemma Mônica R C
authors.forename: Cíntia Fumi
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Cauê Favero
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Dulce H F
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Cauê Ribeiro
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Ernesto Chaves
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D016062:Porosity; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D000537:Aluminum Oxide