Fouling of PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane by BSA solution was investigated in conjunction with analysis of membrane total resistances and resistances distribution. The total resistances of the PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane and ZrO2 membrane increased with increasing filtration time
but the growth trend of the PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane total resistances was lower than that of the ZrO2 membrane. The fouling resistance of the ZrO2 membrane was Rcp (concentration polarization resistance)-dominant
while Rcp and Rm (membrane resistance) controlled the PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane separation process. The internal plugging resistance (Rif) of the PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane was just half of that of the ZrO2 membrane. The membrane resistance of PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane increased with increasing pH. The densely packed brush-shaped structure of the PAA chains was considered to be responsible for reducing the protein adsorption on the membrane surface. Furthermore
the PAA-g-ZrO2 composite membrane displayed high pH-sensitivity for BSA solutions
and could resist protein fouling in high pH applications.