New method for measuring the pore sizes and pore size distributions of filter membranes—the fluorescence probe method

A novel, simple, and rapid method is demonstrated for measuring the pore size and pore size distribution of filtration membranes (FMs) used in aqueous applications with fluorescence probes. Because the selected fluorescent probes are mixable and have strong signals, combined with the operation of dead-end filtration, this method only requires small amounts of reagents; additionally, it is time-efficient by avoiding multiple rounds of filtration. This method detects the size of a FM pore throat (i.e., the narrowest position of a pore tunnel), which is more consistent with the actual filtration situation. The conditions, such as probe concentration, temperature, transmembrane pressure difference, and types of surfactants, have been optimized. The experimental results show that the fluorescence probe method has good accuracy and reproducibility for measuring the pore size and pore size distribution of both organic and inorganic FMs. The method is particularly suitable for rapid testing of the filtration performance (nominal pore size �0.02 μm) of purchased or synthetic membranes in the laboratory. Graphical abstract