Mathematical modelling of flux recovery during chemical cleaning of tubular membrane fouled with whey proteins

Abstract

Membrane process efficiency in the dairy industry is impaired by the formation of deposits during filtration processes. This work describes cleaning procedures for ceramic tubular membrane (50 nm) fouled with whey proteins. Also, mathematical modelling was performed to obtain models which allow deeper insight into the mechanisms involved during cleaning procedures. The caustic solutions (0.2%w/w, 0.4%w/w and 1.0%w/w NaOH) and the mixture of two commercial detergents (0.8%w/w P3-ultrasil 69+0.5% w/w P3-ultrasil 67 and 1.2% P3-ultrasil 69+0.75 P3-ultrasil 67) were used as chemical cleaning agents. The results showed that the best flux recovery was achieved with 0.4%w/w NaOH solution. After analyzing the experimental data, five parameter and six parameter kinetic models were suggested for alkali and detergent cleaning, respectively. The changes of total and specific resistances, as well as the change of the effective pore diameter and deposit thickness during cleaning are estimated by applying these models.U industriji mleka membrane se ciste veoma cesto zbog intenzivnog prljanja membrana proteinima. U ovom radu opisan je postupak hemijskog ciscenja cevne keramicke membrane zaprljane proteinima surutke. Takodje su predlozeni modeli koji opisuju ciscenje membrana alkalnim rastvorima i rastvorima deterdzenta. Rezultati su pokazali da se najbolja regeneracija fluksa postize 0.4% rastvorom NaOH-a. Nakon analize eksperimentalnih podataka, modeli sa ukupno pet i sest parametara su predlozeni za alkalno ciscenje i ciscenje deterdzentom, respektivno. Definisanje modela omogucuje procenu promene ukupnog i pojedinacnih otpora kao i promene efektivnog precnika pora i debljine sloja adsorbovanog unutar pora membrane tokom vremena.