Assignment on Membrane Separation

Processes

Course Title : Advances in Food Engineering Unit Operations

Course code : FPE806
Course teacher : Dr. Venkatachalapathy
Associate Professor and Head
Dept of Food Engineering

Submitted by
Priyadarshini S R
2017894608
PhD I year
Food Process Engineering
Membrane Based Separation Processes

Membrane separation is a technology which selectively separates materials through a

semi permeable barrier and the separation occurs by the membrane controlling the rate of
movement of molecules between two liquid phases, two gas phases, or a liquid and gas phases.

Types of motion of molecules through barrier:

Permeation:

• Dissolution of permeating molecules in the membrane

• Diffusion of dissolved molecules
• Desorption of penetrant molecules to the downstream side.

Knudsen diffusion (d/λ < 0.2):

Single gaseous molecules diffuse under rarefied conditions so that the mean free path

is longer than the pore diameter.

Convection (d/λ > 20):

Viscous flow through the pores of ultrafiltration and microfiltration.

Some useful definitions are presented below.

(1) Osmotic Pressure:

Osmosis means craving for water. Fig.1 shows that a semipermeable barrier separates a solution
having some solute in one side and pure solvent (water in this case) at the other side. Due to
presence of difference in concentration of solvent in both sides, water from solution side
permeate through the membrane to the solution side.
Fig.1 A schematic presentation of the osmosis process

Therefore, the level of water in solvent side goes down and that in the solution side goes up. At
equilibrium, there exists a difference in hydrostatic pressure in both the chambers, although the
chemical potential of the solvent is equal across the membrane. The developed hydrostatic head
is called osmotic pressure. If the solute concentration in the solution is more, the solution is

more “thirsty” of water and equilibrium hydrostatic pressure head is more. When water is forced
through a concentrated solution (by applying pressure), the osmotic pressure resists. The energy
required to overcome this resistance is called osmotic energy.

As discussed above, osmotic pressure is a colligative property, directly proportional to

concentration.

The above equation is vant hoff’s equation for dilute solutions.

It may be mentioned that any solution has its own osmotic pressure, but it can only be

realized in presence of a semipermeable barrier or membrane. For example, a glass of

saline water has its own osmotic pressure but it can only be realized, if we place it across

a semi-permeable barrier.
(2) Observed retention: (Selectivity of membrane)

This property indicates the extent of separation of a membrane can produce with

respect to the solute concentration in the feed. Thus, observed retention is defined as,

(3) Real retention:

Real retention is a constant that defines the partition of the solute concentration

across the membrane, i.e., between the the membrane-solution interface and the

permeate side. Since, this definition is not masked by any physical phenomenon like

concentration polarization, (defined later) etc., this definition indicates the true

separation efficiency of the solute by the membrane.

Here,

Cm = solute concentration in membrane solution interface

For complete solute retention, Rr = 1.0

Molecular Weight Cut-Off (MWCO):

The molecular weight at 90% solute retention indicates roughly the molecular weight cut off of
the membrane.
Membrane Permeability (Lp):
● This parameter shows how porous the membrane is.
● If Lp is more, then the membrane is more porous

Mathematically, Lp is defined as,

Lp=Jo/∆ P unit : m/(Pa.s)

where,

Jo - pure water flux

ΔP - transmembrane pressure drop

Membrane Processes

First generation membrane processes

● Microfiltration (MF)
● Ultrafiltration (UF)
● Nanofiltration (NF)
● Hyper filtration (HF) /Reverse osmosis (RO)
● Electro dialysis (ED)

Second generation membrane processes

● Gas separation (GS)
● Pervaporation (PV)
● Membrane Distillation (MD)

Material used
Sl.No Materials Membrane separation process

1. Polypropylene Microfiltration (MF)

2. Polysulfone Ultrafiltration(UF),Gasseparation (GS)
3. Polyamide Gas separation, Reverse osmosis (RO)
4. Polyacrylonitrile Ultrafiltration
5. Cellulose MF, UF and RO

Electrodialysis
In the ED process a semi-permeable barrier allows passage of either positively charged
ions (cations) or negatively charged ions (anions) while excluding passage of ions of the opposite
charge. These semi-permeable barriers are commonly known as ion-exchange, ion-selective or
electrodialysis membranes.
Gas Separation
● Used for separation of gas mixtures.
● Separation of gases is due to their different solubility and diffusivity in the polymer
membranes.

Rate of permeation:
● Proportional to pressure differential across the membrane, solubility of gas in the
membrane, diffusivity of gas through membrane.
● Inversely proportional to the membrane thickness.

Driving force: Concentration difference.

Pore size: < 1 nm.

Ex: Separation of Carbondioxide from natural gas

Pervaporation (PV)
● Separation of miscible liquids
● Liquid is maintained at atmospheric pressure on the feed side of the membrane, and
permeate is removed as a vapour because of a low vapour pressure existing on the
permeate side.
● Differs from all other membrane processes because of the phase change of the permeate.
● Transport is effected by maintaining a vapour pressure gradient across the membrane.
● Membranes used: Zeolite and Poly Dimetyl Siloxane

Three steps sequence:

Selective sorption of one of the components of the liquid into the membrane on the feed side

Selective diffusion of this component across the membrane

Evaporation, as permeate vapour, into the partial vacuum applied to the underside of the
membrane
Membrane Distillation
● Is a process in which two liquid or solutions at different temperatures are separated by a
porous hydrophobic membrane.
● The liquid/solution must not wet the membrane otherwise the pores will be filled for
capillary force.
● Membrane distillation is a type of low temperature, reduced pressure distillation

Schematic representation:

● Such transport occur in a sequence of three steps:

● Evaporation on the high-temperature side.
● Transport of vapour molecules through the pores of the hydrophobic porous membrane.
● Condensation on the low-temperature side.
● It is one of the membrane processes in which the membrane is not directly involved in
separation the only function of the membrane is to act as a barrier between the twos
 phases. Selectivity is completely determined by the vapour liquid equilibrium involves.
This means that the component with the highest partial pressure will show the highest
permeation rate.

Membrane configuration
● The membrane module and its support usually called as “module”
● Modules are assembled and can be easily integrated as a separation system

Functions
● To accommodate large membrane areas in small volume
● Should withstand pressure required by the separation and cross flow velocities to
maintain a clean membrane surface area

Flat sheet membrane

● Also called plate and frame module
● Consists of a series of alternate ribbed plates and hollow spaces with membrane placed
on either side of each plate and acts as flow channel
● The upstream leaves as the retenate and is enriched in non-permeate
● Permeates is collected from channels in support plates and leaves enriched in the most
permeate component

Advantage - Easy to clean and replace membranes

Disadvantage - Low membrane area per volume

Spiral wound configuration

● Most commonly used configuration in food industry particularly for RO and UF

● Extension of the flat plate configuration
● Feed passes through membrane that is spirally wound around the porous tube
● Membrane feed spacer and permeate spacer are glued on three sides and terminates at
its fourth side into the porous pipe collects the permeate
● This module is wrapped into a spiral and placed in a cylinder shell

Advantages :
● High surface area available with low space requirement
● Turbulent flow is enhanced by the spacers

Disadvantages
● Low membrane area per volume
● Difficult to clean and sanitize
● It may become expensive for high pressure because extra high-pressure shells must be
purchased
Tubular module

● Similar to tube in shell heat exchanger

● A cylindrical membrane and a support system is housed inside a large tube in a tubular
system
● Feed solution is pumped into the tube through one end and forced in the radial direction
through the porous pipe and the membrane
● Relatively easy to clean and replace
● Disadvantage is relatively low membrane surface area
● Expensive and high operating cost

Hollow fibres

● The membranes are in the shape of very-small-diameter hollow fibers

 ● Typically, the high-pressure feed enters the shell side at one end and leaves at the other
end
● The hollow fibers are closed at one end of the tube bundles
● The permeate solution inside the fibers flows countercurrent to the shell-side flow and is
collected in a chamber where the open ends of the fibers terminate
● Then the permeate exits the device

Membrane Membrane Membrane Control of Application

module area/unit vol. costs Fouling
(m2 m-3 )

Plate & frame 400 - 800 medium good MF, UF, RO,
Module ED

Spiral-wound 800 - 1200 low good UF, RO, GS

module

Tubular module 20 - 100 very high very good MF, UF, RO

Capillary 600 - 1200 low very good UF, MF,

module

Hollow fiber 2000 - 5000 very low very poor RO, GS

Module

Membrane Fouling

It is a process where solute or particles deposit onto a membrane surface or into membrane pores
in a way that degrades the membrane's performance.
Concentration polarization

Accumulation of solute particles over the membrane surface is defined as concentration

polarization. It has the following effects

i.Increase in osmotic pressure of the solution.

ii.Formation of gel over the membrane surface.

iii.Increases the viscosity of the solution.

iv.Solute enters into the pores and pores are blocked partially or completely.

Major Foulants
● Organic materials
● Biological growth
● Colloidal and suspended particles
● Soluble salts

Influential factors
● Membrane properties
● Solution properties
● Operating conditions

Methods to reduce fouling

Pre-treatment of the feed solution

● Heat treatment
● pH adjustament
● Addition of complexing agents
 ● Chlorination
● Adsorption onto active carbon
Membrane properties
● Narrow pore size distribution
● Hydrophilic membranes

Module and process conditions

● Reducing concentration polarisation
- Increasing flux velocity
- Using low flux membranes
Cleaning
● Hydraulic cleaning
● Mechanical cleaning
● Chemical cleaning

Advantages of membrane separation

● No specific chemical knowledge is needed for operation
● No Complex instrumentation
● Basic concept is simple to understand
● Separation can be carried out continuously
● Membrane processes can easily be combined with other separation processes
● Separation can be carried out under mild conditions
● Membrane properties are variable and can be adjusted
● Greater design flexibility in designing systems
● Clean technology with operational ease

Disadvantages of membrane separation

● Membranes are relatively expensive
● Certain solvents, colloidal solids, especially graphite and other residues can quickly and
permanently destroy the membrane surfaces
● Oil emulsions are not "chemically separated," so secondary oil recovery can be difficult.
● Synthetics are not effectively treated by this method
● Biofouling/membrane fouling;
 ● Low membrane lifetime;
● Generally low selectivity

Future Challenges
● Development and advancement of Nano-materials for effective membrane strength and
separations.
● Over-coming the problem of Membrane Fouling.
● To design membranes for high selectivity.

Food industries Applications References

Dairy industry whey processing Mohammad et

al., 2012

bacteria can be removed from skim milk using a Tetra Laval,

commercial MF process called Bactocatch® Lund, Sweden

As with RO, it can be used for the preconcentration of Munir, 2006

milk or whey (by the
removal of water and minerals) mainly to reduce
transportation costs or energy requirements before the
evaporation process

Fruit and vegetable use of immobilized pectinases on UF membrane has Giorno &
juices (clarification been proposed as a method to allow the reuse of Drioli, 2000
and concentration enzymes while controlling membrane fouling during
of fruit juice) clarification processes
Sugar refining RO has been used for the concentration of maple Munir, 2006
(concentration, syrup, resulting in more than 30% reduction in
clarification, processing costs
and purification)

Vegetable oils UF has been successfully applied to obtain soy protein Ladhe &
processing isolates (i.e. 60–65% of proteins) from the defatted Krishna
soybean meal or “cake” Kumar, 2010

Food industries Applications References

Brewing and wine MF is used for the separation of wort Daufin

industry following the et al., 2001
mashing step, for rough beer clarification
and for cold sterilization

Electrodialysis removal of calcium from milk Brennan & Grandison,

and lactic acid from whey, the control of 2012
sugar/acid ratio
in wine, the pH control of fruit juices and
fermentation
reactors, and the purification of bioactive
peptides
Pervaporation used to concentrate fruit Karlsson & Tragardh, 1996
juices, alcohol in fermentation broth,
dealcoholization of
alcoholic beverages (i.e. final product of
0.5% v/v of
ethanol), and recovery and concentration of
aroma compounds

References
• Mohammad A, Ng CY, Lim YP, Ng GH (2012) Ultrafiltration in food processing
industry: review on application, membrane fouling, and fouling control. Food and
Bioprocess Technology 5(4): 1143–1156.
• Munir C (2006) Membrane concentration of liquid foods. In: Handbook of Food
Engineering, 2nd edn. Boca Raton,FL: CRC Press, pp. 553–599.
• Giorno L, Drioli E (2000) Biocatalytic membrane reactors: applications and perspectives.
Trends in Biotechnology 18(8): 339–349.
• Ladhe AR, Krishna Kumar NS (2010) Application of membrane technology in vegetable
oil processing. In: Cui ZF, Muralidhara HS (eds) Membrane Technology. New York:
Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 63–78.
• Brennan G, Grandison AS (2012) Food Processing Handbook. New York: John Wiley,
pp. 275–300.
• Daufin G, Escudier J, Carrere H et al. (2001) Recent and emerging applications of
membrane processes in the food and dairy industry. Food and Bioproducts Processing
79(2): 89–102.
• Karlsson HOE, Tragardh G (1996) Applications of pervaporation in food processing.
Trends in Food Science and Technology 7(3): 78–83.