Separation of Functional Molecules in Food by Membrane Technology

Charis M. Galanakis

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780128150566
• eBook ISBN: 9780128150573
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Separation of Functional Molecules in Food by Membrane Technology deals with an issue that is becoming a new research trend in the field of food and bioproducts processing. The book fills in the gap of transfer knowledge between academia and industry by highlighting membrane techniques and applications for the separation of food components in bioresources, discussing separation mechanisms, balancing advantages and disadvantages, and providing relevant applications. Edited by Charis Galanakis, the book is divided in 13 chapters written by experts from the meat science, food technology and engineering industries.- Covers the 13 most relevant topics of functional macro and micro molecules separation using membrane technology in the food industry- Brings the most recent advances in the field of membrane processing- Presents the sustainability principles of the food industry and the modern bioeconomy frame of our times

Chapter 1

Introduction in Membrane Technologies

Maria Norberta de Pinho^1,2 and Miguel Minhalma^2,3, ¹Chemical Engineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, ²Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials, CeFEMA, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, ³Chemical Engineering Department, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract

The application of membrane separation processes in food industries is widespread, and although some processes are already well established, there is still room for process and membrane development. This chapter presents membrane materials and structures and their characterization in terms of permeation productivity and selectivity. The classification of membrane processes upon its driving forces and membrane structures is carried out. The membrane modules and their advantages and limitations are analyzed. The transport principles underlying membrane processes are described and quantified for optimization of operation modes and operating conditions in the pressure-driven processes of microfiltration, ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. The design of these processes should consider the concentration polarization phenomenon, as this leads to decrease in process productivity. Its dependence on the main operating parameters of feed flow velocity and transmembrane pressure is hereby quantified. Furthermore, this phenomenon is a major precursor of membrane fouling, which influences not only the membrane cleaning cycles but also the shortening of membrane lifetime. A technoeconomical analysis of the use of UF in the concentration of sheep milk is presented. The principles of operation of electrodialysis are described in order to achieve its best use in the removal of salts and acids in the food industry. Pervaporation, although, still economically less attractive, has a technical application niche for the processing of thermolabile compounds and as an alternative to technically difficult distillations.

Keywords

Membranes; modules; pressure-driven processes; electrodialysis; pervaporation

Chapter Outline

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Materials and Structures of Membranes 3

1.2.1 Materials 3

1.2.2 Structures 3

1.3 Classification of Membrane Processes 6

1.4 Membrane Modules 8

1.4.1 Plate-and-Frame Modules 8

1.4.2 Tubular Modules 8

1.4.3 Hollow Fiber Modules 9

1.4.4 Spiral Wound Modules 10

1.5 Pressure-Driven Membrane Processes 12

1.5.1 Membrane Characterization 12

1.5.2 Mass Transfer at the Fluid Phase Circulating Tangentially to the Membrane: Concentration Polarization 15

1.5.3 Operation Modes 17

1.5.4 Case Study Applications 19

1.6 Electrodialysis 21

1.6.1 Characterization of Ion-Exchange Membranes 22

1.6.2 Process Operation 23

1.7 Pervaporation 24

1.8 Conclusion 27

References 27

1.1 Introduction

Membrane processes occupy an important place among separation techniques nowadays. In fact, in the last few decades, the conventional separations or chemical engineering unit operations like distillation, solvent extraction, etc. have been in many situations substituted or complemented by membrane separation processes. This is of particular relevance in the food industry, which constitutes the second membrane market after that of water, including wastewater and desalination. In the early 1960s, the development by Loeb and Sourirajan of cellulose acetate asymmetric membranes for sea water desalination made it possible to envisage their use in reverse osmosis (RO) at a large scale and as an alternative to the energy-intensive thermal processes. The cellulose acetate asymmetric membranes display the singular feature of combining high transmembrane fluxes with high rejection coefficients to NaCl, whereas they are synthesized by the phase-inversion technique. The versatility of this technique opened the way for the production of membranes from many other polymers and with a wide range of structures. The extension beyond polymers to inorganic and hybrid materials together with ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Introduction in Membrane Technologies
• Chapter 2. Introduction in Functional Components for Membrane Separations
• Chapter 3. Membrane Filtration of Biosurfactants
• Chapter 4. Membrane Technology for the Purification of Enzymatically Produced Oligosaccharides
• Chapter 5. Pectin Removal and Clarification of Juices
• Chapter 6. Recovery of Phenolic-Based Compounds From Agro-Food Wastewaters Through Pressure-Driven Membrane Technologies
• Chapter 7. Lignin Separation and Fractionation by Ultrafiltration
• Chapter 8. Membrane Separations in the Dairy Industry
• Chapter 9. Current and Future Applications of Nanofiltration in Food Processing
• Chapter 10. Electrodialysis-Based Separation Technologies in the Food Industry
• Chapter 11. Osmotic Driven Membrane Processes for Separation of Special Food Compounds
• Index