ABSTRACT
Adsorption, on the other hand, has also been used extensively for (bio)separation, often under the name of chromatography. Traditionally such separations by adsorption were carried out using packed beds of beaded adsorbents (columns). Compared to chromatographic col umns, membrane adsorbers show considerably faster mass transfer kinetics, and thus can be operated at higher flow-rates and with better throughput.1017 The result is a significant short ening of the process time when membrane adsorbers are used, which in addition often causes an improvement of the bioproduct quality and the efficiency of separation processes. Some authors argue that in certain cases and particularly for applications in biotechnology and medi cine, membrane adsorbers may in future even supersede beaded supports.
