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A method and apparatus for cleaning a membrane module, the membrane module having a plurality of porous membranes, the membranes being arranged in close proximity to one another and mounted to prevent excessive movement therebetween and means for providing, from within the module, by means other tha

A method and apparatus for cleaning a membrane module, the membrane module having a plurality of porous membranes, the membranes being arranged in close proximity to one another and mounted to prevent excessive movement therebetween and means for providing, from within the module, by means other than gas passing through the pores of the membranes, gas bubbles entrained in a liquid flow such that, in use, the liquid and bubbles entrained therein move past the surfaces of the membranes to dislodge fouling materials therefrom, the gas bubbles being entrained in the liquid by flowing the liquid past a source of gas to draw the gas into the liquid flow. The gas bubbles are preferably entrained into the liquid using a venturi type device. The membranes are preferably partitioned into discrete groups to assist cleaning while maintaining high packing density.

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A method and apparatus for cleaning a membrane module, the membrane module having a plurality of porous membranes, the membranes being arranged in close proximity to one another and mounted to prevent excessive movement therebetween and means for providing, from within the module, by means other tha

A method and apparatus for cleaning a membrane module, the membrane module having a plurality of porous membranes, the membranes being arranged in close proximity to one another and mounted to prevent excessive movement therebetween and means for providing, from within the module, by means other than gas passing through the pores of the membranes, gas bubbles entrained in a liquid flow such that, in use, the liquid and bubbles entrained therein move past the surfaces of the membranes to dislodge fouling materials therefrom, the gas bubbles being entrained in the liquid by flowing the liquid past a source of gas to draw the gas into the liquid flow. The gas bubbles are preferably entrained into the liquid using a venturi type device. The membranes are preferably partitioned into discrete groups to assist cleaning while maintaining high packing density. reof. 8. A method of claim 4 wherein said counterion agent includes an anion, said anion is selected from the group comprising acetate, carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, propionate, formate, chloride, and bromide. 9. A method of claim 1 wherein said separation is by Matched Ion Polynucleotide Chromatography. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said medium has been subjected to an acid wash treatment in order to substantially remove multivalent cation contaminants from said surfaces. 11. A method of claim 1 wherein said medium comprises beads having an average diameter of 0.5 to 100 microns, said beads comprising nonporous particles. 12. A method of claim 1 wherein said beads are characterized by having a Mutation Separation Factor of at least 0.5. 13. A method of claim 1 wherein said particles are nonporous. 14. A method of claim 1 wherein said nonporous particles comprise silica. 15. A method of claim 14 wherein said nonporous particles are substantially free from unreacted silanol groups. 16. A method of claim 1 wherein said medium has been subjected to treatment with EDTA in order to substantially remove multivalent cation contaminants from said surfaces. 17. A method for separating a mixture of polynucleotides, comprising a) applying a mixture of polynucleotides to separation medium comprising particles selected from the group consisting of silica, silica carbide, silica nitrite, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, carbon, insoluble polysaccharide, and diatomaceous earth, the particles having separation surfaces which are coated with a hydrocarbon or non-polar hydrocarbon substituted polymer, or have substantially all polar groups reacted with a non-polar hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon group, wherein said particles contain surface pores having a diameter that is less than the size and shape of the smallest polynucleotide in the mixture, wherein said separation surfaces are substantially free from multivalent cations which are free to interfere with polynucleotide separation and, wherein said polynucleotides comprise RNA; b) eluting said mixture of polynucleotides. 18. A method of claim 17 wherein said medium iS characterized by having a DNA Separation Factor of at least 0.05. 19. A method of claim 17 wherein said medium is characterized by having a Mutation Separation Factor of at least 0.1. 20. A method of claim 17 including eluting said mixture with a mobile phase comprising a counterion agent and an organic solvent, wherein said organic solvent is water soluble. 21. A method of claim 20, wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohol, acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, ester, ether, and mixtures of one or more thereof. 22. A method of claim 20 wherein said counterion agent is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl primary amine, lower alkyl secondary amine, lower alkyl tertiary amine, lower alkyl trialkyammonium salt, quaternary ammonium salt, and mixtures of one or more thereof. 23. A method of claim 20 wherein said counterion agent is selected from the group consisting of octylammonium acetate, octadimethylammonium acetate, decylammonium acetate, octadecylammonium acetate, pyridiniumammonium acetate, cyclohexylammonium acetate, diethylammonium acetate, propylethylammonium acetate, propyldiethylammonium acetate, butylethylammonium acetate, methylhexylammonium acetate, tetramethylammonium acetate, tetraethylammonium acetate, tetrapropylammonium acetate, tetrabutylammonium acetate, dimethydiethylammonium acetate, triethylammonium acetate, tripropylammonium acetate, tributylammonium acetate, tetraethylammonium acetate, tetrapropylammonium acetate, tetrabutylammonium acetate, triethylammonium hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol, and mixtures of one or more thereof. 24. A method of claim 20 wherein said counterion agent includes an anion, said anion is selected from the group comprising acetate, carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, propionate, format e, chloride, and bromide. 25. A method of claim 17 wherein said separation is by Matched Ion Polynucleotide Chromatography, wherein said particles have a pore size which essentially excludes the polynucleotides being separated from entering the bead. 26. The method of claim 17 wherein said medium has been subjected to an acid wash treatment in order to substantially remove multivalent cation contaminants from said surfaces. 27. A method of claim 17 wherein said medium comprises beads having an average diameter of 0.5 to 100 microns, said beads comprising nonporous particles. 28. A method of claim 27 wherein said beads are characterized by having a Mutation Separation Factor of at least 0.5. 29. A method of claim 27 wherein said particles are nonporous. 30. A method of claim 27 wherein said nonporous particles comprise silica. 31. A method of claim 30 wherein said nonporous particles are substantially free from unreacted silanol groups. 32. A method of claim 17 wherein said medium has been subjected to treatment with EDTA in order to substantially remove multivalent cation contaminants from said surfaces.