Application of reverse osmosis membrane in food processing and bioengineering

Application of reverse osmosis membrane in food processing and bioengineering

The applications of reverse osmosis in food processing and bioengineering include process water treatment, product active ingredient recovery, dehydration concentration and material separation. The choice of membrane method for the concentration, separation and recovery of food and biological products is determined by the inherent process advantages of the technology. For example, reverse osmosis can be operated in a closed loop at normal temperature, thereby reducing the influence of oxygen on the liquid and evaporation in the air. The problem of thermal degradation of the process; the reverse osmosis operation is only a pressurized conveying process, the process is simple, the solvent-free phase change is achieved, and the energy is greatly saved; especially in the recovery and concentration of trace components in the dilute solution with high added value, there are many other methods. Difficulties, and reverse osmosis is feasible.

The separation and concentration of protein, amino acid and polysaccharide in dairy products is the most important application of reverse osmosis technology in the field. It is very common in Europe and America to treat milk and whey directly or indirectly through reverse osmosis (permeate after ultrafiltration). A set of 7000m ² membrane area (tubular-based) reverse osmosis process requires an investment of 60 million US dollars. Other applications include the recycling of food processing chemicals such as sugar, acid and alkali in food processing, juice (tomato juice, orange juice, apple). The concentration of juice, grape juice, etc., the separation of polysaccharides and proteins, the extraction of active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, the recovery of aromatic substances and the separation of alcohol and water in fermentation, many of which have been industrially applied.

The key to the application of membrane technology in food processing and biological products is to solve the problem of membrane fouling in use, which is generally solved through membrane assembly design, process matching and cleaning. It is worth noting that in separation applications, it is often required that the membrane has a low rejection rate of salt, and the organic matter is completely retained, such as the proper separation of sugar, amino acid and salt, and the separation of dye and salt. At this time, nanofiltration is a very There are mainstream technologies with promising prospects, which is one of the reasons why nanofiltration membranes have become increasingly important in recent years. In general, the idea of ​​solving all problems by single-phase reverse osmosis or nanofiltration technology in process applications is unrealistic. The combination of multiple processes is often the most effective way of industrialization, such as reverse osmosis / nanofiltration and thin film evaporation. Reasonable combination of electrodialysis, crystallization, pervaporation, and facilitation of delivery.

Reverse osmosis/nanofiltration technology has become one of the leading technologies in modern industry. Although there are many manufacturers and research units producing membranes in the world, the current status is that the top four major multinational companies have more than 90% of the world's production and market, and in 1998 the world only sold the reverse osmosis membrane market. The amount has reached 200 million US dollars (by membrane), and the development prospects are very bright. This is clearly seen in the market where desalination of seawater and brackish water and the production of pure water and ultrapure water are still very strong, and wastewater treatment and bioengineering applications are becoming more common. How to research and develop more economical membrane products that are resistant to oxidation, pollution, and selectivity and can be widely applied to water supply and wastewater systems will be the main tasks and objectives of scientists and engineers in this century.

The original text is quoted from Hyde Energy Film's official website