ORANGE JUICE CLARIFICATION BY MICROFILTRATION: EFFECT OF OPERATIONAL VARIABLES ON MEMBRANE FOULING

C. PAGLIERO; N. A. OCHOA; J. MARCHESE

LATIN AMERICAN APPLIED RESEARCH

PLAPIQUI(UNS-CONICET)

Lugar: Bahia Blanca; Año: 2010 p. 1 - 6

0327-0793

Orange juice was clarified by crossflow microfiltration by a PVDF/PMMA flat membrane synthesized in our laboratory. The effect of transmembrane pressure (Δp=0.4-1bar) and feedflow rate (v=0.77-1.25 m/s) on permeate flux at T=25ºC was studied. Permeate flux increases with increasing feed velocity; while no significant increase of permeate flux with pressure is observed (flux controlled by mass transfer). Resistances responsible for permeate flux in the steady state conditions were evaluated by applying the resistance-in-series model.Results indicate that the reversible gel layer resistance of the membrane was the dominant resistance (≈ 70% of total membrane resistance) and it was mainly caused by the adsorption and deposition of solutes on the membrane surface. The PVDF/PMMA membrane showed high  performance on both permeate flux and clarified juice quality. The maximum  permeate flux at steady-state condition (J = 47 L/m2h) was achieved at Δp = 1 bar and v = 1.25 m/s.Total solids (TS) are completely removed from permeate juice and the content of soluble solids, acidity and pH present in the feed and in the clarified permeate are practically the same.