Resistance structure and solute removal pathways in UF–DF of sweet whey

Dobozi Réka; Jákói Zoltán; Szabó P. Balázs; Kertész Szabolcs: Resistance structure and solute removal pathways in UF–DF of sweet whey.

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Whey is a high-volume by-product of dairy processing, rich in valuable proteins, lactose, and minerals, yet its utilization remains limited in many regions due to challenges related to shelf life, transport, and processing infrastructure. Membrane-based separations such as ultrafiltration (UF) and diafiltration (DF) offer chemical-free, low-energy routes for valorizing whey streams, but their efficiency depends not only on the nominal molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of the membranes, but also on fouling dynamics and concentration polarization phenomena. In this study, sweet whey was subjected to UF combined with up to four constantvolume DF steps using polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with MWCOs of 10, 30, and 50 kDa. Retention of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and lactose was determined, and the evolution of total hydraulic resistance (RT) and its components – membrane resistance (RM), reversible resistance (RREV), and irreversible resistance (RIRR) – was evaluated. Results showed that COD retention closely followed lactose concentration changes, with strong correlations (r ≈ 0.99), confirming that small, permeable solutes dominated COD trends. UF exhibited clear MWCO-dependent retention (10 kDa > 30 kDa > 50 kDa), whereas during DF the sharpest decline occurred in the first diafiltration cycle (DF1), due to dilution-induced disruption of the concentration polarization layer and reduction of RREV. Beyond DF2, resistance stabilized and the separation performance of the 30 and 50 kDa membranes converged, indicating that hydrodynamic control outweighed nominal MWCO differences. For the 10 kDa membrane, irreversible fouling became more prominent in later DF steps, increasing RT. Overall, the first DF cycle resulted in the greatest removal of dissolved components with low molecular weight, while subsequent cycles contributed to a diminishing extent to the removal of these fractions, but further increased the purity of the protein fraction remaining in the retentate. These findings suggest that optimal industrial strategies should apply a limited number of DF steps and carefully consider fouling mechanisms to balance efficiency, product quality, and resource use.

Mű típusa: Konferencia vagy workshop anyag
Befoglaló folyóirat/kiadvány címe: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems
Dátum: 2025
Kötet: 31
ISBN: 978-963-688-078-1
Oldalak: pp. 297-301
Nyelv: angol
Kiadó: University of Szeged
Kiadás helye: Szeged
Konferencia neve: 31th International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems
Konferencia típusa: Konferencia
Helyszin: Szeged
Dátum: 2025. október 13-14.
Befoglaló mű URL: https://acta.bibl.u-szeged.hu/88570/
Kulcsszavak: Tejipari technológia, Élelmiszerkémia
Megjegyzések: Bibliogr.: 301. p. ; ill. ; összefoglalás angol nyelven
Szakterület: 02. Műszaki és technológiai tudományok
02. Műszaki és technológiai tudományok > 02.10. Egyéb műszaki tudományok és technológiák
02. Műszaki és technológiai tudományok > 02.10. Egyéb műszaki tudományok és technológiák > 02.10.02. Élelmiszer és italfélék
Feltöltés dátuma: 2025. nov. 11. 09:30
Utolsó módosítás: 2025. nov. 11. 09:30
URI: http://acta.bibl.u-szeged.hu/id/eprint/88701
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