Effect of Operating Parameters on Ultrafiltration of Whey and Membrane Resistance Using Nanostructure Hollow Fiber Polyethersulfone Membrane

Whey, as a strong environmental pollutant, is produced along the production of cheese and contains about 50% of the valuable nutrients of milk. The membrane-based separation process is one of the most fascinating technologies for concentration and purification of whey proteins in the dairy industries; using this technology makes fewer damages to the nutrients of whey.In addition, separation of the valuable compounds of whey makes less environmental problems. In this study, three different nanostructure PES hollow fiber membranes with different characterization and pore sizes have been used and their intrinsic resistances were measured; the effect of temperature and pressure on fouling resistances and the effect of temperature on the permeation flux, protein rejection, and lactose permeation were studied. The results showed that permeation flux increases with increase in temperature. The intrinsic resistance and fouling resistances of the membranes increase with a decrease in pore size. The fouling resistance increases by pressure even though the intrinsic resistance of the membrane doesn't change.