Hydrodynamic factors affecting flux and fouling during ultrafiltration of skimmed milk

Alistair Grandison , Wirote Youravong , Michael Lewis

The effects of independently varying both wall shear stress ($\tau_w$) and transmembrane pressure ($TMP$) on permeate flux and fouling during ultrafiltration of reconstituted skimmed milk in total recycle mode have been investigated. Irreversible fouling resistance ($R_{if}$) increased as $TMP$ increased. Increasing $\tau_w$ at constant $TMP$ led to an increase in both the initial flux, and subsequent flux decline, and to a decrease in $R_{if}$. At the highest $\tau_w$, increasing $TMP$ resulted in greater initial flux accompanied by increasing rates of flux decline and more irreversible fouling. Increasing and then decreasing $TMP$ in a controlled, stepwise manner at constant $\tau_w$ suggested that flux is governed by both a reversible, and an irreversible fouling layer which forms at higher $TMP$; this also controlled the transmission of protein. Critical operating conditions producing the least fouling were evaluated during this procedure.

Mots clés: ultrafiltration; fouling; critical flux; wall shear stress

Domaines: Alimentation et Nutrition; Ingénierie des aliments

Alistair Grandison, Wirote Youravong, Michael Lewis. Hydrodynamic factors affecting flux and fouling during ultrafiltration of skimmed milk. Le Lait, 2000, 80 (1), pp.165-174. ⟨10.1051/lait:2000116⟩. ⟨hal-00895397⟩