CONSEQUENCES of FOULING and MACROMOLECULE ADSORPTION ONTO ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE FOR PINEAPPLE JUICE PROCESSING

Abstract

Pineapple juice samples were ultrafiltrated using a polysulfone 10,000 molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane. However, to facilitate operations, the ultrafiltration experiments were preceeded by fractionation of juice samples using sequentially Microfiltration/Diafiltration and Ultrafiltration/Diafiltration with 8 μm; 0.4 μm; 0.2 μm and 0.1 μm membranes, using three specific experimental procedures. the 10,000 MWCO membrane was cleansed using a 40°C IN NaOH solution for a minimum of 30 min, to restore optimal membrane water permeation flux. the effects of selective fractionation processes, pretreatments (using antifoaming agent, hemicellulase, and ammonium sulfate saturation), on permeation rates, concentration levels, protein rejection and protein yields were determined. Water permeation fluxes, measured before and after each UF operation showed a dramatic flux drop from 313 L/hm² to 91 L/hm² within seven successive 10,000 MWCO membrane experiments. This occurred inspite of suitable membrane washing conditions, pretreatments and selective fractionation processing of samples. the modification, mainly due to fouling, of the integrity of the 10,000 MWCO membrane relative to concentration level was investigated.