Concentration ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration. Membranes are used that are capable of selectively passing large molecules (>500 daltons). Pressures of 0.1—1.4 MPa (<200 psi) are exerted over the solution to overcome the osmotic pressure, while providing an adequate dow through the membrane for use. Ultrafiltration (qv) has been particulady successhil for the separation of whey from cheese. It separates protein from lactose and mineral salts, protein being the concentrate. Ultrafiltration is also used to obtain a protein-rich concentrate of skimmed milk from which cheese is made. The whey protein obtained by ultrafiltration is 50—80% protein which can be spray dried. 

Radovich JM and Behnam B, Concentration ultrafiltration and diafiltration of albumin with an electric field, Sep. Sci. Technol. 1983 18(3) 215-222. 

Property Structural integrity Solubility (nephelometry) Stability (buffer, plasma) Serum protein binding (see Section 6.3.2.4) Assessing physicochemical properties Providing context to in vivo data interpretation Assay (protein binding) Serum from multiple species 5-10 pM compound concentration Ultrafiltration or equilibrium dialysis in 96-well format Analysis Samples in both buffer and serum matrices " PPT followed by LC-MS/MS... 

Gawel, J. and Kosikowski, F. V. (1978). Improving alcohol fermentation in concentrated ultrafiltration permeates of cottage cheese whey. J. FoodSci. 43, 1717-1719. 

K. marxianus var. fragilis which utilizes lactose, produces a food-giade yeast product from cheese whey or cheese whey permeates collected from ultrafiltration processes at cheese plants. Again, the process is similar to that used with C. utilis (2,63). The Provesteen process can produce fragiUs yeast from cheese whey or cheese whey permeate at cell concentrations ia the range of 110—120 g/L, dry wt basis (70,73). 

Pish protein concentrate and soy protein concentrate have been used to prepare a low phenylalanine, high tyrosine peptide for use with phenylketonuria patients (150). The process includes pepsin hydrolysis at pH 1.5 ptonase hydrolysis at pH 6.5 to Hberate aromatic amino acids gel filtration on Sephadex G-15 to remove aromatic amino acids incubation with papain and ethyl esters of L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan, ie, plastein synthesis and ultrafiltration (qv). The plastein has a bland taste and odor and does not contain free amino acids. Yields of 69.3 and 60.9% from PPG and soy protein concentrate, respectively, have been attained. 

A newer juice concentration process, requiring minimal heat treatment, has been appHed commercially in Japan to citms juice concentration. The pulp is separated from the juice by ultrafiltration and pasteurized. The clarified juice containing the volatile flavorings is concentrated at 10°C by reverse osmosis (qv) and the concentrate and pulp are recombined to produce a 42—51 °Brix citms juice concentrate. The flavor of this concentrate has been judged superior to that of commercially available concentrate, and close to that of fresh juice (11). 

Fig. 23. Two types of hollow-fiber modules used for gas separation, reverse osmosis, and ultrafiltration applications, (a) Shell-side feed modules are generally used for high pressure appHcations up to - 7 MPa (1000 psig). Fouling on the feed side of the membrane can be a problem with this design, and pretreatment of the feed stream to remove particulates is required, (b) Bore-side feed modules are generally used for medium pressure feed streams up to - 1 MPa (150 psig), where good flow control to minimise fouling and concentration polarization on the feed side of the membrane is desired.

A key factor determining the performance of ultrafiltration membranes is concentration polarization due to macromolecules retained at the membrane surface. In ultrafiltration, both solvent and macromolecules are carried to the membrane surface by the solution permeating the membrane. Because only the solvent and small solutes permeate the membrane, macromolecular solutes accumulate at the membrane surface. The rate at which the rejected macromolecules can diffuse away from the membrane surface into the bulk solution is relatively low. This means that the concentration of macromolecules at the surface can increase to the point that a gel layer of rejected macromolecules forms on the membrane surface, becoming a secondary barrier to flow through the membrane. In most ultrafiltration appHcations this secondary barrier is the principal resistance to flow through the membrane and dominates the membrane performance. 

Membrane Sep r tion. The separation of components ofhquid milk products can be accompHshed with semipermeable membranes by either ultrafiltration (qv) or hyperfiltration, also called reverse osmosis (qv) (30). With ultrafiltration (UF) the membrane selectively prevents the passage of large molecules such as protein. In reverse osmosis (RO) different small, low molecular weight molecules are separated. Both procedures require that pressure be maintained and that the energy needed is a cost item. The materials from which the membranes are made are similar for both processes and include cellulose acetate, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyHdene diduoride), nylon, and polyamide (see AFembrane technology). Membranes are commonly used for the concentration of whey and milk for cheesemaking (31). For example, membranes with 100 and 200 p.m are used to obtain a 4 1 reduction of skimmed milk. 

Following ultrafiltration of whey, the permeate passes over a reverse osmosis (qv) membrane to separate the lactose from other components of the permeate. Reverse osmosis can be used to remove water and concentrate soHds in a dairy plant, giving a product with 18% soHds and thus decreasing the difficulty of waste disposal. Concentration of rinse water gives a product with 4—5% total soHds. Proper maintenance of the membrane allows for use up to two years. Membranes are available for use up to 100°C with pH ranges from 1 to 14 the usual temperature range is 0—50°C. 

Xylose is obtained from sulfite Hquors, particularly from hardwoods, such as birch, by methanol extraction of concentrates or dried sulfite lyes, ultrafiltration (qv) and reverse osmosis (qv), ion exchange, ion exclusion, or combinations of these treatments (201). Hydrogenation of xylose is carried out in aqueous solution, usually at basic pH. The Raney nickel catalyst has a loading of 2% at 125°C and 3.5 MPa (515 psi) (202,203). 

Membrane-retained components are collectively called concentrate or retentate. Materials permeating the membrane are called filtrate, ultrafiltrate, or permeate. It is the objective of ultrafiltration to recover or concentrate particular species in the retentate (eg, latex concentration, pigment recovery, protein recovery from cheese and casein wheys, and concentration of proteins for biopharmaceuticals) or to produce a purified permeate (eg, sewage treatment, production of sterile water or antibiotics, etc). Diafiltration is a specific ultrafiltration process in which the retentate is further purified or the permeable sohds are extracted further by the addition of water or, in the case of proteins, buffer to the retentate. 

Dynamic membranes are concentration—polarization layers formed in situ from the ultrafiltration of coUoidal material analogous to a precoat in conventional filter operations. Hydrous zirconia has been thoroughly investigated other materials include bentonite, poly(acryhc acid), and films deposited from the materials to be separated (18). 

Diafiltration is an ultrafiltration process where water or an aqueous buffer is added to the concentrate and permeate is removed (50). The two steps may be sequential or simultaneous. Diafiltration improves the degree of separation between retained and permeable species. 

P. Dejmek, "PermeabiHty of the Concentration Polarization Layer in Ultrafiltration of Macro Molecules," Proceedings of the International Symposium, Separation Processes by Membranes, Paris, Mar. 13—14,1975. 

Until the early 1960s, laboratory iavestigators rehed on dialysis for the separation, concentration, and purification of a wide variety of biologic fluids. Examples iaclude removal of a buffer from a proteia solution or concentrating a polypeptide with hyperosmotic dialysate. Speciali2ed fixtures were sometimes employed alternatively, dialysis tubes, ie, cylinders of membrane about the si2e of a test tube and sealed at both ends, were simply suspended ia a dialysate bath. In recent years, dialysis as a laboratory operation has been replaced largely by ultrafiltration and diafiltration. 

The egg products are finally processed and spray-dried. Sometimes Hquid egg whites are concentrated before spray-drying by ultrafiltration (qv) or reverse osmosis procedures. Table 5 presents the effect of egg quaUty on the different egg product manufacturing processes. 

Whey concentration, both of whole whey and ultrafiltration permeate, is practiced successfully, but the solubility of lactose hmits the practical concentration of whey to about 20 percent total sohds, about a 4x concentration fac tor. (Membranes do not tolerate sohds forming on their surface.) Nanofiltration is used to soften water and clean up streams where complete removal of monovalent ions is either unnecessary or undesirable. Because of the ionic character of most NF membranes, they reject polyvalent ions much more readily than monovalent ions. NF is used to treat salt whey, the whey expressed after NaCl is added to curd. Nanofiltration permits the NaCl to permeate while retaining the other whey components, which may then be blended with ordinaiy whey. NF is also used to deacidify whey produced by the addition of HCl to milk in the production of casein. 

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