Silvia Álvarez-Blanco

Cleaning efficiency enhancement by ultrasounds for membranes used in dairy industries.

Membrane cleaning is a key point for the implementation of membrane technologies in the dairy industry for proteins concentration. In this study, four ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with different molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs) (5, 15, 30 and 50kDa) and materials (polyethersulfone and ceramics) were fouled with three different whey model solutions: bovine serum albumin (BSA), BSA plus CaCl2 and whey protein concentrate solution (Renylat 45). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of ultrasounds (US) on the membrane cleaning efficiency. The influence of ultrasonic frequency and the US application modes (submerging the membrane module inside the US bath or applying US to the cleaning solution) were also evaluated. The experiments were performed in a laboratory plant which included the US equipment and the possibility of using two membrane modules (flat sheet and tubular). The fouling solution that caused the highest fouling degree for all the membranes was Renylat 45. Results demonstrated that membrane cleaning with US was effective and this effectiveness increased at lower frequencies. Although no significant differences were observed between the two different US applications modes tested, slightly higher cleaning efficiencies values placing the membrane module at the bottom of the tank were achieved.

Analysis of Two Ultrafiltration Fouling Models and Estimation of Model Parameters as a Function of Operational Conditions

This work analyses the measure of fit of experimental data of permeate flux decline with time for ultrafiltration experiments performed with polyethylene glycol aqueous solutions to two different ultrafiltration models. A feed solution of 5 kg/m

Nanofiltration of sweet whey and prediction of lactose retention as a function of permeate flux using the Kedem–Spiegler and Donnan Steric Partioning models

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Cleaning of ultrafiltration membranes fouled with BSA by means of saline solutions

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Evaluation of cleaning efficiency of ultrafiltration membranes fouled by BSA using FTIR–ATR as a tool

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Utilization of NaCl solutions to clean ultrafiltration membranes fouled by whey protein concentrates

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