An experimental study for removing algae particles using a metal mesh membrane

Abstract

This study evaluated the applicability of a metal wire-mesh as a filter to remove algae particles. The filtration experiments were performed with a single layer wire-mesh and a double layer wire-mesh. The removal efficiency was calculated by the total amount of suspended solids captured in the wire-mesh and it reached up to 97%. The single layer wire-mesh filtration experiments were carried out using four types of wire-mesh and the removal efficiencies were compared according to their pore sizes. The double layer wire-mesh filtration experiment was classified into eight cases and the experimental results showed the effective wire-mesh size for the algae removal. In addition, from scanning electron microscope photographs of the wire-meshes following the filtration experiments, the shape of the Spirulina sp. algae filtered on the wire-mesh was observed.