The group Chemical Process Engineering (CVT) at the University of Bremen studies how particle mixtures can be separated in porous media using electric fields.

In the research project “Investigation of dielectrophoretic effects in porous structures” led by Professor Dr. Jorg Thöming and Dr. Michael Baune we investigate how the separation is influenced by the filter and its pore structure. The main driving force in our separation effect is dielectrophoresis; we know that this force strongly depends on the pore structure and pore window size.

We analysed our samples using micro-computed tomograph (µCT) to find pore shape, specific surface area, permeability and other important parameters. The results were reconstructed to 3D models and evaluated using MATLAB.

A comparison of the results with experimental separation efficiencies of different pore structures allowed us to understand the essential relationship between structural parameters of the filter and dielectrophoretic separation.

I would like to personally thank Dr. Wolf-Achim Kahl, Dr. Malte Lorenz, Md Karim Nurul and Dr. Georg Pesch for the great work and support given in the frame of this project.

Besides, I am extremely grateful to MAPEX-CF for enabling our measurements at their facilities and appreciating our research with this grant.