PDA Technical Glossary

PDA Technical Glossary

PDA Technical Reports are highly valued membership benefits because they offer expert guidance and opinions on important scientific and regulatory topics and are used as essential references by industry and regulatory authorities around the world. These reports include terms which explain the material and enhance the reader’s understanding.

The database presented here includes the glossary terms from all current technical reports. The database is searchable by keyword, topic, or by technical report. Each definition provided includes a link to the source technical report within the  PDA Technical Report Portal.

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Flow Rate
The volumetric rate of flow of a solution, expressed in units of volume per time (e.g., L/min or gal/day). (TR15) (TR26)
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Foulant
Solute or suspended solid that interacts with the membrane causing a decrease in performance (see Fouling). (TR15)
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Fouling (or Clogging)
Adsorption or interaction with components in the feed stream resulting in a decrease in membrane performance. Generally, fouling can be reversed by cleaning the membrane. (TR15) The result of solutes blinding or blocking membrane pores. It is observed as a decrease in the flux (at constant pressure) or an increase in the filtration differential pressure (at constant flux). (TR26)
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Integrity Testing
A method of determining if a membrane or filter is physically intact and free from gross defects. (TR15)
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Recovery
The mass of desired solute in the final product solution (either permeate or retentate, depending on the process), divided by the mass of the desired solute in the initial feed solution, expressed as a percentage. [Synonym: yield] (TR15) (TR45) A measure of the amount of analyte carried through the entire sample preparation and assay procedure and expressed as a percentage of the nominal concentration. (TR57)
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Stirred-Cell Filtration
A surrogate for tangential flow filtration where shear is achieved by rapidly stirring the solution immediately adjacent to the membrane. Typically the stirring is accomplished by mechanical means, such as through the use of a stir bar or impeller. (TR15)
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