堵塞系数或淤泥密度指数测试被广泛用作反渗透给水质量的预测指标。为了确定堵塞系数测试背后的机理是否是堵塞过滤，进行了两个实验。根据堵塞过滤器阻力的数学表达式，评估了先前过滤地下水和海水研究中的堵塞系数数据。接下来，通过过滤微球悬浮液来确定颗粒大小对膜过滤器堵塞的影响。尽管堵塞因子与膜过滤器的流动阻力有很好的相关性，但在大多数情况下，堵塞是堵塞因子测试背后的机制。包括3个参考文献、表格和图表。

The plugging factor or silt density index test is being used widely as a predictor of feedwater quality for reverse osmosis. Two experiments were performed to determine whether blocking filtration is the mechanism behind the plugging factor test. Plugging factor data from a previous study of filtered groundwater and seawater were evaluated in terms of a mathematical expression for the resistance of a blocked filter. Next, the effect of particle size on membrane filter plugging was determined by filtering microsphere suspensions. Although the plugging factor correlated well with flow resistance across membrane filters, blocking was in most cases the mechanism behind the plugging factor test. Includes 3 references, tables, figures.