ABSTRACT
The adsorption of proteins onto polymeric filters is of considerable practical interest. The hindrance of the filtration process by protein adsorption is termed “fouling,” a word whose pejorative implication is one of unwelcome interference. The adsorption of proteins can occur whenever any surface comes in contact with a protein solution. Protein adsorption to filters is hardly a singular or exceptional event. The greater strength of the hydrophobic adsorptions is indicative of the greater stability of the protein in those very conditions. The rate of molecular adsorption depends upon the rate at which molecules collide with the surface, the fraction that adhere, and the extent of surface area that becomes covered. Experimental investigations indicate that elements of protein adsorptions to filters do fit the Langmuir equation. The bonding interactions that characterize adsorptions are understood to be electrical in nature. The attractive forces making for adsorption, both van der Waals and hydrophobic, are effective only at very short ranges.
