Editing Microfiltration (section)

===Membrane configurations===
[[Image:Cross-flow.svg|right|300 px|thumb|Figure 2: Cross-flow geometry]]
[[Image:Dead-end.svg|right|300 px|thumb|Figure 3: Dead-end geometry]]
Microfiltration membranes can generally operate in one of two configurations.

[[Cross-flow filtration]]: where the fluid is passed through tangentially with respect to the membrane.<ref>Perry, RH & Green, DW, 2007. ''Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook'', 8th Edn. McGraw-Hill Professional, New York. p 2072-2100</ref>  Part of the feed stream containing the treated liquid is collected below the filter while parts of the water are passed through the membrane untreated. Cross flow filtration is understood to be a unit operation rather than a process. ''Refer to Figure 2 for a general schematic for the process.''

[[Dead-end filtration]]; all of the process fluid flows and all particles larger than the pore sizes of the membrane are stopped at its surface. All of the feed water is treated at once subject to cake formation.<ref>Perry, RH & Green, DW, 2007. ''Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook'', 8th Edn. McGraw-Hill Professional, New York. p2072-2100</ref>   This process is mostly used for batch or semicontinuous filtration of low concentrated solutions.<ref>Seadler, J & Henley, E 2006, ''Separation Process Principles'', 2nd Edn,  John Wiley & Sons Inc. New Jersey. p.501</ref> ''Refer to Figure 3 for a general schematic for this process.''