Application of cross-flow ultrafiltration on inorganic membranes in purification of food materials

Abstract

This paper brings data on ultrafiltration on inorganic membranes (MEMBRALOX, France, mean pore size 20 and 100 nm, 0.8 m long, filtration area 0.2 m²), which were used for the purification of different liquid materials from the food industry; in particular egg blend, amaranth starch suspension, and caramel (i.e. natural colorant). The ultrafiltration was carried out on a pilot plant filtration unit TIA (Bollene, France), cross-flow permeate fluxes being measured at first. Using the experimental data, mathematical models describing membrane fouling were suggested. The obtained permeate steady-state fluxes (40 l/h/m² for amaranth starch solution, 20 l/h/m² for egg blend and 5–30 l/h/m² for caramel) depended partially on the filtration temperature (15–17°C for egg blend, 40°C for amaranth, and 50–70°C for caramel) but mostly on the character of the medium filtered.