Patent ID: 6228271
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: B01D,G01N

Abstract:
Process for testing the integrity of at least one liquid filtration membrane, said membrane delimiting an upstream compartment within a filtration device that collects liquid to be filtered, and a permeate compartment that collects filtered liquid, said process comprising the steps of:a. draining said upstream compartment of liquid and filling said upstream compartment with air by venting it to atmospheric pressure (P.sub.atm), said permeate compartment having filtered liquid therein;b. applying a partial vacuum to said permeate compartment to create a cross-membrane pressure difference between said upstream compartment and said permeate compartment;c. measuring liquid flow out of said permeate chamber that corresponds to air passing through leak orifices in said membranes under the effect of said cross-membrane pressure difference and the pressure existing in said permeate compartment;d. after stabilization of the pressure in said permeate chamber at a predetermined pressure (P.sub.test) and before all the liquid has drained out of the permeate compartment, measuring a constant liquid flow out of the permeate chamber (Q.sub.test) that corresponds to said stabilized pressure; ande. evaluating the integrity of the membrane as a function of the measured liquid flow (Q.sub.test).