UHT Condensate Recovery by Reverse Osmosis: A Pilot-Plant Study

Abstract

Real ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) flash cooler (FC) condensates obtained in the dairy industry were processed in situ using a reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane (Duratherm HWS 4040 HR; 8.2 m 2 filtration area). Semicontinuous trials were performed to estimate the maximum volume concentration rate (VCR) that fulfils the permeate specifications for reuse as boiler water. Then, long-term continuous experiments (100 h in duration) were carried out at a constant permeate flow rate (40 L h −1 m −2 ), and the conductivity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, and Ca 2+ concentration were monitored. An activated carbon column (ACC) was used to reduce the organic charge of the permeate.

Management of Waste Streams from Dairy Manufacturing Operations Using Membrane Filtration and Dissolved Air Flotation

“…Membrane filtration is not only used as a wastewater treatment method in dairy industries [13], but also for the reclamation and reuse of water [14,15], whey fractionation [16], recovery of cleaning solutions [17] and other purposes [18]. In cross flow membrane filtration, the feed is more highly pressurized than the osmotic pressure across a semipermeable membrane, and the particles that can pass through the membrane pores come out through the circumference as permeates, while the other particles are retained and come out the other end as retentate.…”