Membrane Processing in Dairy

Industry

Dr. Thien Trung Le

Faculty of Food Science and Technology
Ho Chi Minh City Nong Lam University
Email: [Link]@[Link]
Website: [Link]
Content

■ Part 1: Basic knowledge about pressure-

driven membrane processes
■ Part 2: Membrane separations in the
dairy industry
Types of Membrane Separation Processes
■ Pressure-driven processes

– MF: Microfiltration
– UF: Ultrafiltration
– NF: Nanofiltration
– RO: Reverse osmosis
Types of Membrane Separation Processes
■ Pressure-driven processes
Types of Membrane Separation Processes
■ MF
– Pore size: 20 to 0.1 um
– Transmembrane pressure (TMP): 3 bars
■ UF
– TMP: 3-7 bars
– Separation: based on the diameters of molecules and partially
on their charges and affinity for the membrane
■ NF
– TMP: 10 – 30 bars
– Separation: based on molecular size and charge. negatively
charged membranes: greater rejection for salts having anions of
higher charge
Types of Membrane Separation Processes
■ RO

– Separation: based on the solubility of water and the very poor

solubility of other components in the membrane
– Theoretically, allow only water to be transmitted  against
osmotic pressure  high TMP: 10 – 75 bars
– Generally reject 95% NaCl
 Separation Characteristics
Filtration modes

Dead-end filtration Crossflow (CF) filtration

• feed flow perpendicular to filter surface • or tangential flow filtration

• clogging of filter with particles • feed flow parallel to filter surface
 product recovery   less membrane fouling  filtration rate 
 membrane fouling  filtration rate   product recovery 
• permeate flow to filter surface
• recirculation of the retentate is possiple
Separation Characteristics

(Video clip)
Separation Characteristics
Crossflow filtration parameters

Permeate flux (L/m2h or m3.m-2.s-1)

 Volume concentration ratio (VCR)

Transmembrane pressure (TMP)

Membrane modules
1. Flat-sheet membrane module
• Plate-and-frame
Conventional design
Low packing density  more expensive based on the
same membrane area
Flexible
Suitable for feeds of high viscosity.
Easy to uninstall for cleaning, and the membranes are
easy to remove for storage or replacement
Membrane modules
1. Flat-sheet membrane module
• Plate-and-frame
Membrane modules
1. Flat-sheet membrane module
• flat-sheet membrane cassettes (Millipore)
Organic membrane
Narrow feed channel
scale up linearly easily
Membrane modules
2. Tubular module single 2-3 cm diameter tube
(single channel module) or several <
1cm diameter tubes are nested
together in a outside tube
(multichannel module)
Ceramic membranes
Lowest packing density
More expensive based on the same
membrane area
suitable for feeds containing high
suspended solids: clarification of
juice and in fermentation broth and
beer recovery, widely applied in MF
of skim milk
allows the feed to be pumped with
higher crossflow velocities 
minimizing the formation of CP and
cake fouling, improve permeate flux
and allow the retentate to be
concentrated to a high level (high
VCR)
Membrane modules
3. Spiral-wound module
Permeate moves spirally along its
channel which is inside of the
membrane sandwich to the central
tube, then exits through the header
assembly

High packing density

Several of the modules can be

connected and they are placed inside a
tubular pressure vessel

most common design which are

applied in RO and UF
Membrane modules
4. Hollow fiber module
consists of a bundle of small
membrane tubes

Two configurations: outside-

in and inside-out feeding fibers

Diameters of hollow fibers

range from 0.1 to 2.0 mm (1-
2mm called capillary fibers)

Highest packing capacity

Capillary fibers: combined

advantage of having a high
packing capacity of spiral-
wound membranes and the
beneficial hydrodynamic
behavior of tubular membranes
Membrane modules
Content

■ Part 1: Basic knowledge about pressure-

driven membrane processes
■ Part 2: Membrane separations in the
dairy industry
Membrane separations in the dairy industry
Membrane separations in the dairy industry
poly-dispersed system with particles having different
charges and wide range of sizes
 any membrane types are possible
 process performance is highly dependent on membrane
material, pH, temperature and other operational parameters
The application trend: use of a membrane process in
single and separated steps to the use of several
membrane types in several steps and in integrated
production lines

Can apply to replace conventional processing methods or

can be implemented as innovative methods for the
production of tailored-functionality ingredients in the
development of new food products or improvement of
existing food products
Downstream processing line vs. membrane
processes involved
Milk components
Particle sizes in milk
Pressure-driven Membrane separations in the
dairy industry
■ Microfiltration (MF)
– reduction of bacteria in skim milk, whey and brine (tubular
membranes)
– defatting whey intended for whey protein concentrate (WPC)
– protein fractionation
■ Ultrafiltration (UF)
– concentration of milk proteins in milk and whey (e.g. in production
of WPC, WPI)
– protein standardization of milk intended for cheese, yoghurt, …
■ Nanofiltration (NF)
– removal of monovalent ions like sodium and chlorine (partial
demineralisation)
– partial desalination of whey, UF permeate or retentate
■ Reverse Osmosis (RO)
– concentration of solutions by removal of water
– dehydration of whey, UF permeate and condensate
MF for bacteria removal (“bactocatch”)

• removal of spores from cheese milk

– removal of C. tyrobutyricum and C. sporogenes

• improved shelf life of liquid market milk (“purfiltre”)

– removal of B. cereus

• production of raw milk cheese

– retaining enzyme activity

• production of low-heat milk powders

Removal of spores in cheese milk
Removal of spores in cheese milk
• Advantages
high bacteria-reducing efficiency
no need for chemicals to inhibit growth of Clostridia
spores
• removal of spores
independent of initial load
– spore reduction:
» >99,44%
» >2.25 log
 Removal of spores in cheese milk

Log reduction aerobic Expected shelf-life Expected shelf life

Process psychotrofic spores max 4 C max 10 C

Pasteurisation 0 10 days 2-3 days

Bactofugation 1 14 days 4-6 days

Microfiltration 2-3 30 days 6-8 days

UHT-Process 8 180 days 180 days

Protein concentration
■ native protein concentrates
 very good amino acid profile (lysine / cysteine)

• whey protein concentrates (WPC)

35 - 85% protein in dry matter

• whey protein isolates (WPI)

> 90% protein in dry matter

• milk protein concentrate and isolate (MPC/MPI)

Whey protein concentrates (WPC)
Whey protein isolates (WPI)
 > 90% protein in dry matter

 ultrafiltration / diafiltration

 microfiltration
Milk protein concentrate and isolate (MPC/MPI)
5 X concentration of milk solids by UF
Ultrafiltration in cheese manufacture
■ pre-concentration
• concentration factor (CF) of 1.5 - 2.0
• standardization of protein/fat ratios

■ moderate concentration
• CF = 3 - 5
• modified cheese process including some whey drainage

■ concentration to the final DM content of the cheese

• CF = 6 - 8
• DM content 35%
• vacuum treatment  typical DM content of the cheese
Reverse osmosis in the dairy industry
■ milk  concentration up to 30% TS
• fat globules increases viscosity
• homogenization in retentate through the pressure
release valve
• lactose crystallization
• applied to permeate from UF or whey
Nanofiltration in the dairy industry
• removal of inorganic salts
Na, K, Cl, urea, lactic acid
• partial demineralization
• reduce salty taste
• pretreatment for electrodialysis, ion exchange
• acid removal
• reduce salt from cheese making
Other possible applications

proposed combined UF and NF process for more economical cheese production

Other possible applications

process of preparation of the whey protein-depleted skim milk powder

Other possible applications

Production of calcium fortified reduced lactose skim milk

Vocabularies
Vocabularies
Vocabularies
Vocabularies
References
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