Linking membrane ageing to fouling dynamics and surface property alterations in skim milk microfiltration

IF 2.7 2区农林科学 Q3 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

International Journal of Dairy Technology Pub Date : 2026-10-15 DOI:10.1111/1471-0307.70169

Freja Mardal, Rose Cramer Dam, Emma Skov Thomsen, Morten Lykkegaard Christensen, Behnaz Razi Parjikolaei

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Skim milk microfiltration is essential for casein–whey separation, but performance declines due to fouling and membrane ageing, which can modify surface properties and reduce flux.

Aim(s)

This study examined how ageing affects fouling dynamics by identifying the main foulants, quantifying irreversible resistance and flux, and characterising membrane charge and wettability.

Methods

Industrial polysulfone membranes (0.1 μm) were sampled after 1 day, 10 days and at end of life (E.O.L.). Water flux and resistance were determined by resistance-in-series analysis; foulants by RP-UPLC; surface chemistry by ATR-FTIR; surface charge by streaming-potential zeta potential; wettability by dynamic contact angle; and statistics by two-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc.

Major Findings

Irreversible resistance varied nonlinearly with membrane age, increasing from fresh membrane to 1 day (0.27–1.86 × 10¹² m⁻¹), decreasing after 10 days (0.69 × 10¹² m⁻¹) and reaching the highest level at E.O.L. (2.75 × 10¹² m⁻¹). Fouling was dominated by β-casein and α_S1-casein, with minor whey–protein contributions and low levels of lipid-related components. FTIR showed increasing protein signals with age, while fouling shifted the surface towards a more positive charge, with isoelectric points around pH 4.5–4.7. Dynamic contact angle measurements indicated a more hydrophobic initial response for fouled membranes, especially at E.O.L.; however, contact angles generally decreased with contact time, suggesting that measured wettability reflected both foulant composition and hydration or wetting of the dried fouling layer.

Scientific or Industrial Implications

These findings support CIP strategies primarily targeted at protein removal, while also accounting for age-related changes in membrane surface properties. Such strategies may improve flux recovery, maintain performance, extend membrane lifespan and reduce unnecessary chemical and water use in dairy microfiltration.

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脱脂牛奶微滤中膜老化与污染动力学和表面性质变化的联系

脱脂乳微滤是酪蛋白-乳清分离的必要条件，但由于污染和膜老化，性能下降，会改变表面性质并降低通量。目的：本研究通过识别主要污染物、量化不可逆阻力和通量、表征膜电荷和润湿性来研究老化如何影响污染动力学。方法对工业聚砜膜（0.1 μm）在使用1 d、10 d和寿命结束时进行取样。采用串联电阻法测定水通量和阻力；RP-UPLC；ATR-FTIR表面化学；表面电荷通过流动电位zeta电位；动态接触角的润湿性；统计采用双因素方差分析。不可逆电阻随膜龄呈非线性变化，从新鲜膜到1 d （0.27 ~ 1.86 × 1012 m−1）增加，10 d后下降（0.69 × 1012 m−1），在e.o.l时达到最高水平（2.75 × 1012 m−1）。结垢以β-酪蛋白和α s1 -酪蛋白为主，乳清蛋白贡献较小，脂质相关成分水平较低。FTIR显示，随着年龄的增长，蛋白质信号增加，而污垢使表面向正电荷移动，等电点在pH值4.5-4.7左右。动态接触角测量表明，污染膜的初始反应更疏水，特别是在e.o.l；然而，接触角一般随着接触时间的延长而减小，这表明测量的润湿性既反映了污垢成分，也反映了干燥的污垢层的水化或润湿情况。这些发现支持主要针对蛋白质去除的CIP策略，同时也解释了膜表面特性与年龄相关的变化。这种策略可以提高通量回收率，保持性能，延长膜寿命，减少乳制品微过滤中不必要的化学品和水的使用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Dairy Technology 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

4.50%

发文量

审稿时长

12 months

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Dairy Technology ranks highly among the leading dairy journals published worldwide, and is the flagship of the Society. As indicated in its title, the journal is international in scope. Published quarterly, International Journal of Dairy Technology contains original papers and review articles covering topics that are at the interface between fundamental dairy research and the practical technological challenges facing the modern dairy industry worldwide. Topics addressed span the full range of dairy technologies, the production of diverse dairy products across the world and the development of dairy ingredients for food applications.