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Silica precipitation is a ubiquitous but deleterious phenomenon occurring in many hydrometallurgical processes. Indeed, silicon is often released during the dissolution of minerals under acidic leaching conditions. Eventually, it precipitates into a hard-to-filter silica gel, which has prompted some efforts to hinder silica precipitation through pretreatment or extra dilution. However, these approaches are usually either mineral-specific or costly. Here, we propose a disruptive strategy based on controlling the gel’s mesostructure and therefore its filterability. We designed an alternative precipitation pathway consisting of adding extra silicate ions but at basic pH. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that this pathway transforms the network of polymeric silica (“polymer gel”) obtained under highly acidic leaching conditions into a network of dense silica particles (“particle gel”). This structural compaction at the mesoscopic length scale cascades to the macroscale and leads to a drastic improvement in filterability by two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this method is generic by applying it successfully to both a model and real ore systems.

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The purpose to effectuate this research work is to investigate the efficiency of crude xylano-pectinolytic enzymes in extraction and clarification of fruit juices, so as to improve their physical (clarity, viscosity and soluble solid), functional (total polyphenolic content) and sensory characteristics (acceptability). In this study, various conditions like enzyme dose, treatment time and stirring speed have been optimized. The extraction and clarification efficiency were found to be optimum at enzyme dose between 2:8 and 4:16 IU/g pulp, treatment time between 30 to 60 min and stirring speed of 50 and 60 rpm for different fruit juices. Enzymatic treatment enhanced the physicochemical, organoleptic and nutritional properties and generated juice with improved yield and clarity. After xylano-pectinolytic enzymatic treatment of various fruit juices, maximum increase in yield (95%), filterability (40%) and maximum decrease in viscosity (58%) was found in case of Tamarindus indica. Maximum increase in clarity (39%) and polyphenolic content (37%) was observed in case of Aegle marmelos. Maximum increase in reducing sugars was found in case of Fragaria ananassa along with other properties. All these attributes of xylano-pectinolytic enzymes indicate an adequate prospect for bio-industrial research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filtration rate is one of the physiological indices in bivalves that indicates the degree of the effectiveness of the filtration function in exposure to contaminants. In this study, the changes in filtration rate of Dressina poly morpha were investigated after 7 and 14 days of exposure to silver nanoparticles. Bivalves were removed from the natural environment and transferred to the laboratory. The distribution of nanoparticles in water tanks was tested with the DLS device. Bivalves were exposed to concentrations of 0.25, 2.5 and 25 ppm of nanoparticles for 14 days. The results showed the highest filtration rate for the control group (96 ± 47.74 ml min-1 g-1DW). On day 7, the highest filtration rate was observed in the first treatment (88.58 ± 64.38 ml min-1 g-1DW) and the lowest filtration rate was observed in treatment 3 (47.67 ± 11.81) ml min-1 g-1DW), no significant difference was observed in the filtration rate betwen first treatment and control (P >0.05), but the filtration rate in the third treatment was significantly (P

In this study, the Palm and Juliflora biodiesel (PJ100) mixture is prepared in the proportion of (50% palm biodiesel by volume and 50% juliflora biodiesel by volume). The different fuel samples were prepared with PJ100 and diesel. 20% of PJ100 + 80% of diesel (B20), Partial hydrogenation of PJ100 was carried out and prepared 20% of hydrogenated PJ100+80% of diesel (HB20) and 2000 ppm of DTBP (Di-tert-butyl peroxide) additive was added with B20 (B20 + DTBP). The above fuel samples examined a single-cylinder diesel engine's combustion and emission characteristics. An autoclave reactor was used for the hydrogenation of PJ biodiesel, and gas chromatography was used to evaluate the fatty acid composition of biodiesel. Tamson FBT equipment was used to verify the filterability characteristics of all the biodiesel blends and diesel. The FBT results show that B20 and HB20 are 1.36 and 1.4, respectively, which aligns with the ASTM standard (D2068-14). Ignition delay and combustion duration of HB20 and B20+DTBP are significantly improved than the B20 blend. The Brake thermal efficiency of HB20 is 7.7% higher than B20. Similarly, NOx emission was reduced in HB20, and B20+DTBP fuels were 8.66% and 9.74%, respectively, compared to the B20 blend. Based on the above findings, a partial hydrogenation (HB20) blend has been a better way to improve the trade-off qualities than adding DTBP with B20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesels are widely recognized as a leading choice among the alternative options to traditional petrodiesel fuel due to their significant technical and economic advantages. The transesterification process was utilized to prepare biodiesel from palm and prosopis juliflora oil, using NaOH as the catalyst and methanol as the alcohol in this particular experiment. Palm and juliflora biodiesel mixture was prepared as PJ0, PJ20, PJ40, PJ60, PJ80 and PJ100 by weight percentage (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). Based on the physio-chemical properties, PJ60 (B100) was selected as a superior blend and mixed with pure diesel to create different test fuels with varying biodiesel (B0, B20, B30, B40, and B100) concentrations. The experiment examined a four-stroke, single-cylinder CI engine's fuel filterability, performance and emission characteristics. The results indicated the filter blocking tendency value of B20 as 1.36, which is in line with ASTM standard (D2068-14), also lower pressure drop and higher soaking strength among other blends. The B20 blend increased brake-specific fuel consumption by 0.27 kg/kW-h at 3.84%, and brake thermal efficiency was 32.64%, closer to neat diesel in full load. Hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and smoke emissions of B20 blends were decreased by 2.6, 2.5, and 9.42%, respectively. Besides, NOx emission exhibited a significant increase compared to base diesel. The above results aided the conclusion that the B20 mixture holds the potential of alternate fuel for IC engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filtration rate is one of the physiological indices in bivalves that indicates the degree of the effectiveness of the filtration function in exposure to contaminants. In this study, the changes in filtration rate of Dressina poly morpha were investigated after 7 and 14 days of exposure to silver nanoparticles. Bivalves were removed from the natural environment and transferred to the laboratory. The distribution of nanoparticles in water tanks was tested with the DLS device. Bivalves were exposed to concentrations of 0.25, 2.5 and 25 ppm of nanoparticles for 14 days. The results showed the highest filtration rate for the control group (96 ± 47.74 ml min-1 g-1DW). On day 7, the highest filtration rate was observed in the first treatment (88.58 ± 64.38 ml min-1 g-1DW) and the lowest filtration rate was observed in treatment 3 (47.67 ± 11.81) ml min-1 g-1DW), no significant difference was observed in the filtration rate betwen first treatment and control (P >0.05), but the filtration rate in the third treatment was significantly (P <0.05) lower than that of the other treatments and the control group. Moreover, the filtration rate on day 14 showed similar differences to day 7, but more significant. Therefore, it can be concluded that filtration rate changes are a good indicator for nanoparticles contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By assessing the polarization, colour, dextran, starch, phenols, proteins, melassigenic cations (Na+, K+) and Ca2+, reducing sugars and pH, presented study evaluates the main factors influencing non-sugars content and juice filterability in 17 raw cane sugar samples of different geographical origin. α-amylase and dextranase were applied for combined enzymatic degradation of starch and dextran as main undesirable compounds in raw cane sugar juices (15 °Brix and pH 5.5) at four different concentrations (10:12.5, 20:25, 30:37.5 and 40:50 ppm) and 55 °C during 30 min. Decrease of starch and dextran concentrations in juices remarkably increased filterability in range of 20-75% for different raw cane sugar juices. Combined enzymatic effect of α-amylase and dextranase mixture in concentration 30:37.5 ppm showed best result for improving filterability of raw cane sugar juices through reduction in starch and dextran content as main non-sugar impurities. Selecting the raw cane sugar with appropriate quality parameters facilitates the refining process. Simultaneous addition of α-amylase and dextranase mixture (30:37.5 ppm/juice) can improve filterability of low polarization raw cane sugar juice up to 41% and contribute to the refining process enhancement and thus obtention of high-quality refined cane sugar.

Organics removal from health-care wastewaters (HCWWs) is of prime concern worldwide. Water reclamation along with treatment using electrochemical technique was achieved in the present research. Partial mineralization was achieved using two-dimensional (2D) iron electrodes for cell voltages of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 V for an electrolysis time (ET) of 60 min for a fixed SA/V specific electrode area to a volume of 40 m2m−3. The maximum COD and TDS removal of 88.4% and 58.44% was obtained for Government HCWW compared to private HCWW of 79.5% and 50.6%, respectively, at 12 V for 60 min ET. ECC experiments were also carried out for discrete ETs for optimized 12 V cell voltage. Along with COD and TDS, other quality parameters were also analyzed after 1 h hydraulic retention time (HRT). After ECC, total alkalinity, chloride, and total solids significantly reduced from their initial values. ECC showed good disinfection potential by lysing pathogens in HCWWs at 45–60 min ET. Post ECC slurry for both HCWWs showed good filterability. The current efficiency (CE) was 200–220% and specific energy consumption (SEC) was 25–80 kWh/kg of COD removed for 45–60 min ET. Water reclamation of 80–85% was possible after settling, followed by filterability of treated supernatant for both HCWWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filtration properties in solid–liquid separation mainly depend upon the filter cake properties, for instance, cake resistance. However, particle size distribution, particle shape, and their arrangements significantly impact cake filtration. This paper aims to review the work done so far and collate both fundamental and applied work with regard to the quantification of cake properties. The cake resistance and cake porosity in terms of shape, as well as varying particle size distribution width, are discussed here. This work summarizes the current state of the technology and recommends advancements and improvements for future research.

The filterability of barley malt is a critical quality parameter in beer brewing. The effects of two mashing processes (processes A and B) on the filterability of the three barley malts and their macromolecule contents were investigated. Filtration volume increased by 4%, 9%, and 13% for the Baudin, Ganpi, and Gangpi malts, respectively, and the final filtration volume of Gangpi was still poorer than that of Baudin. A downward mashing process (process C) was applied to measure the β‐glucan, arabinoxylans (AX), the polymeric arabinoxylan (PAX), and high molecular weight nitrogen (HMWN) content. The β‐glucan degradation rate of well‐modified malt during malting was higher than that of poorly modified malt, whereas the PAX and HMWN solubilization rates during malting were lower in well‐modified malt than in poorly modified malt. The filterability of poorly modified malt did not effectively improve with an initial mashing phase at 37℃. β‐Glucan degradation and PAX and HMWN solubilization during malting were critical for ensuring malt quality. Thus, the goal of predicting the filterability of malt was achieved by applying a downward mashing process. Practical Application: Quality of wort and beer as well as production efficiency is affected by the malt quality. The filterability of barley malt can affect the production efficiency and quality of wort. The change in the macromolecule contents during malting is important to ensure the production of high‐quality malt. The results of this study can provide a good method for the detection of malt filtration performance, and it also may contribute to the purpose of prediction the changes in barley malt and the resulting barley malt filterability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the influence of COVID-19 on blood microrheology was studied. For this, the method of filtering erythrocytes through filters with pores of 3.5 μm was used. Filterability was shown to significantly decrease with the increasing severity of the patient's condition, as well as with a decrease in the ratio of hemoglobin oxygen saturation to the oxygen fraction in the inhaled air (SpO2/FiO2). The filterability of ≤ 0.65, or its fast decrease during treatment, were indicators of a poor prognosis. Filterability increased significantly with an increase in erythrocyte count, hematocrit and blood concentrations of hemoglobin, albumin, and total protein. The effect of these parameters on the erythrocyte filterability is directly opposite to their effect on blood macrorheology, where they all increase blood viscosity, worsening the erythrocyte deformability. The erythrocyte filterability decreased with increasing oxygen supply rate, especially in patients on mechanical ventilation, apparently not due to the oxygen supplied, but to the deterioration of the patients' condition. Filterability significantly correlates with the C-reactive protein, which indicates that inflammation affects the blood microrheology in the capillaries. Thus, the filterability of erythrocytes is a good tool for studying the severity of the patient's condition and his prognosis in COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the synergetic effect of the combined calcium peroxide (CaO2) and microwave (MW) treatment on waste active sludge dewatering properties and organic contaminants’ removal. The optimal sludge dewaterability was obtained at CaO2 (20 mg/gVSS)/MW (70°C), and the capillary suction time decreased by 52% compared with raw sludge. Further investigation indicated that total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), tightly bound EPS, total protein, and protein present in tightly bound EPS were closely correlated with sludge dewaterability. Tryptophan, aromatic protein–like substances and humic acid–like substances were the key compounds that affect sludge dewaterability. The charge neutralization and bridge effect of cation ions were strengthened when combined with MW irradiation. In addition, it was revealed that MW facilitated CaO2 to produce more hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals. This study confirmed CaO2/MW to be an effective way to improve sludge dewatering and remove organic pollutants from sludge.

• Critical flux evaluated for precipitated IgG with different morphologies. • Additional of CaCl 2 led to precipitate morphologies with much greater critical flux. • Critical flux increases with increasing packing density of precipitate. • Packing density during centrifugation provides rapid precipitate screening. • Operation below critical flux enables at least 24 hr continuous operation. Recent advances in cell culture have led to substantial increases in monoclonal antibody titer, leading to renewed interest in using precipitation for the initial capture and purification of high-value therapeutic proteins. One of the major challenges in developing continuous precipitation processes is ensuring stable operation of the tangential flow microfiltration membranes used for dewatering and washing. The objective of this study was to increase the filterability of the protein precipitate by addition of salts to control the particle morphology. Experiments were performed with human serum Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in different buffers and in the presence of different salts using zinc chloride and polyethylene glycol as precipitating agents. The addition of 300 mM CaCl 2 caused more than a 2-fold increase in the critical flux. This behavior was not due simply to a shift in the particle size distribution, but it was instead related to an increase in the density of the precipitate. The precipitate density was readily measured by centrifugation, providing a rapid method for identifying precipitation conditions that lead to good filterability. Data obtained during a 24-hour filtration process showed minimal fouling with high degrees of purification, demonstrating the viability of this approach for optimizing precipitation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to determine the dependence of the rate of gel formation on the type of reagentinhibitor of the gel formation process, and to study the kinetic dependences of gel formation of silicate compositions in the presence of compounds that regulate the rate of gel formation. Research methods: Direct and reverse titration, potentiometric titration, pH-metry, determination of the dynamic viscosity on a rotational viscometer, axial compression method to determine the elastic modulus were used to study the possibility of using chemical reagents as gelation inhibitors. Results: The possibility of using inorganic and organic additives to slow down the gel formation process and the effect of these additives on the strength of the gel, their thermodynamic parameters have been researched. Discussion: The adding of organic acids into the silicate composition as "crosslinking agents" slows down the gel formation process, while replacing hydrochloric acid with other gel acids that slow down the gel formation process does not lead to a decrease in the strength characteristics of these systems compared to the standard. It was found that with an increase in the gelation time, the strength of the gels decreases, and the syneresis increases; the adding of inhibitor additives insignificantly worsens the filterability of silicate compositions, which in general have bad filterability, leading to an increase in resistance during filtration at the inlet section of the sample. Observations have shown that the addition of additives-inhibitors does not affect the thermal stability of gels, regardless of the additives' nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malt criteria of viscosity and β-glucan are used as an integral part of routine laboratory control measures to classify the cytolytic malt modification level and to ensure good processability. To optimize separation processes in general, the main focus of barley breeding has been on intensifying the cytolytic modification level and reducing the β-glucan concentration. However, not all new malting barley varieties show good processability despite a low β-glucan content, since the effect of hemicellulose constituents such as arabinoxylan and their enzymatic hydrolysis are largely disregarded. For this reason, the aim of the present work was to investigate the individual cytolytic composition of different malting barley (malt) varieties and to point out differences in cytolytic malt parameters depending on their genetically determined modification level. Appropriate analytical possibilities for arabinoxylan determination and suitable extraction methods for cytolytic evaluation have been further shortcomings in breeding quality control. In addition, the most important cytolytic degrading enzymes have been characterized in this paper. Part one of this two-part study demonstrated that cytolytically highly modified varieties have a lower β-glucan but in consequence a higher arabinoxylan content. With regard to the activity of enzymes, the results suggested small differences in β-glucanase, but not in arabinofuranosidase and xylanase. Finally, a principal component analysis showed that most of the cytolytically highly modified barley varieties (52%) were affected by arabinoxylan. The first part of the paper confirms that while breeding progress has reduced β-glucan, arabinoxylan has become the more dominant impact factor on processability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the fulfillment of the Directive EU/2001/2018 targets for 2030, one of the main restrictions in the development of biodiesel fuels from sustainable feedstocks are currently the filterability problems. Contaminants such as saturated monoglycerides, sodium soaps and free steryl glucosides in biodiesel fuels have been found to clog fuel filters in vehicles, fuel dispensers and other industrial equipment which reduces the lifetime of the filters, and may result in fuel starvation, with engine operating difficulties and possible fuel-injection equipment damage. From a distilled biodiesel fuel spiked with these contaminants and subsequently blended with diesel fuel, samples fulfilling quality standards were prepared. filter blocking tendency, cold soak filtration test and total contamination tests were measured. It was found that filterability properties were affected always by the highest contaminant contents, both individually and synergistically. Total contamination test presented inconclusive results. The following conclusions were achieved: i) improvements in the precision of filterability and total contamination methods should be searched; ii) future regulations of biodiesel fuels should limit the free steryl-glucoside, saturated monoglyceride and sodium soap contents; iii) the current biodiesel fuel standards around the world do not secure the filterability properties, which could cause premature fuel filter clogging. • Filterability was affected by high content of contaminants in biodiesel. • Biodiesel total contamination measurements presented inconclusive results. • Current filterability methods have limited precision. • Current regulations of biodiesel fuels do not avoid premature filter clogging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulation and advanced oxidation process (AOP) are the two most significant conditioning methods in sludge dewatering. However, previous studies mainly focus on their differences and overlook their similarities in dewatering mechanisms. In this study, PAC and Fe3+ were selected as typical coagulants, and Fenton and Fenton-like reactions as typical AOP. By regulating the reagent dosage to achieve basically the CST-based filterability (CST = 22.9 ± 1.5 s), AOP had superior dewatering efficiency (59.54–63.04 wt%) compared to coagulation (68.84–69.16 wt%). Obviously, the filterability of sludge could not accurately reflect its dewatering performance. The mechanism revealed that AOP had both "extracellular oxidation" and "intracellular oxidation", whereas coagulation mainly affected the properties of extracellular organic matter. Both processes improved the sludge's relative hydrophobicity and reduced its interfacial free energy. AOP was superior to coagulation in improving sludge fluidity, hydrophobicity, permeability, cell disintegration and reducing bound water content. While coagulation had a better effect on electric neutralization, floc particle size growth and colloidal structure strength. Moreover, this study emphasized the significance of considering the vector-based relationship between sludge dewatering performance and various influencing factors for analyzing the dewatering mechanism. These findings are expected to deepen our understanding of the similarities and disparities in dewatering efficacy and the related mechanisms between the these two pretreatments. [Display omitted] • The filterability of sludge can not accurately reflect its dewatering performance. • Advanced oxidation process has extracellular oxidation and intracellular oxidation. • Coagulation has only extracellular oxidation and little intracellular oxidation. • Vector-based relationship between dewatering ability and impact factors is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review deals with beer filtration, which is an important part of today´s brewing technology. It describes the historical development of this separation technique, explains the basic definitions, methods of filtration using different filter materials, and specifies the haze particles of beer according to their size and physico-chemical properties. In addition to a general overview, it provides a summary of recent findings on the mechanism of filter fouling by yeast, colloidal particles, and macromolecules such as proteins or carbohydrates. Particular attention is paid to the influence of beta glucans, whose molecular weight, or their interactions with other beer components are more important than the total concentration. The review also contains information on ways to improve filtration efficiency, introduces new filter materials, and compares two of the most used filtration systems pre-coat filtration and membrane filtration in terms of sustainability and ecology.

This investigation is a review of the potential of aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor (AGMBR) in wastewater treatment due to the advantage of combination of membrane and aerobic granules for reducing membrane fouling and enhancing removal performance. The AGMBR is the same as the membrane bioreactor (MBR), but the activated sludge is replaced by aerobic granular sludge. This technology combines the advantages of aerobic granular sludge, such as good settleability, strong ability to withstand shock-loadings and high organic loading rate, and capacity of simultaneous chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen removal, and advantages of membrane bioreactor (MBR) such as excellent effluent quality, high biomass content, low excess sludge production, and small land requirement. Therefore, it can be considered a promising option for efficient wastewater treatment. Most studies have shown that aerobic granules could control membrane fouling, which often occurs in MBR. The main fouling mechanism was determined to be surface fouling by floccular sludge in MBR but pore fouling by colloids and solutes in AGMBR. Aerobic granular sludge also removed COD and nitrogen simultaneously, with more than 60% total nitrogen removal efficiency. The formation and stability of aerobic granules in AGMBR with various operational modes are discussed in this study.

Raw real silk textile wastewater was treated using batch electrochemical coagulation (ECC) method. Iron and aluminum electrodes in monopolar parallel arrangement were using a specific electrode area to volume of 24 m²/m³ and a cell voltage of 6 V as the optimal operating condition. Chemical oxygen demand removal ranged from 88% to 92% for iron and aluminum electrodes. Settleability and filterability characteristics of ECC-treated wastewater were at ease. UV–visible spectral analysis was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of ECC treatment for color removal from textile wastewater. An electrolysis time of 10–20 min was sufficient to remove maximum apparent color from the solution. The sludge obtained after electrochemical treatment (ECT) was analyzed for its composition by energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The supernatant from ECT after sludge settling was further treated using membrane bioreactor (MBR) for removal of trace pollutants/solids residues. The results proved the suitability of the dual hybrid treatment process for the complete removal of pollutants/contaminants combining ECC and MBR with ~75% clear water reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The settling and dewatering of sludge are critical steps in the lime precipitation treatment of iron rich wastewaters, such as acid mine drainage (AMD). This fundamental study describes the effect of different ferric feed concentrations ([Fe(III)]: 50 to 800 mg/L) on the dewatering behaviour of the sludge precipitated under steady state conditions and high pH (9 to 11), as measured through filterability and settleability. Experiments were conducted in an agitated mixed-suspension-mixed-product-removal (MSMPR) reactor in which Fe 2 (SO 4) 3 and Ca(OH) 2 were added as the Fe(III) and OH– sources, respectively, and the product was collected for analysis from the overflow. Reaction conditions were such that no gypsum was precipitated. The results indicate that the Fe(III) in the feed influenced the dewatering behaviour of the precipitation product, via particle size, particle size distribution (PSD), surface charge, morphology and structure. Particles formed at 300 mg/L exhibited increased size with a maximum D 4,3 of 27 μm, a narrow PSD characterized by a span of 1.65, a specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of 1.42 × 1012 m/kg and a zeta potential of approximately 0 mV. These conditions resulted in enhanced agglomeration and better settling behaviour, although the filtering behaviour was not improved. This dewatering behaviour was attributed to a dense network of interlocked and interconnected bridges in the bulk morphology of the particles as evidenced by image analysis results. The steady state pH and Fe(III) conversion in the reactor were also influenced by the feed [Fe(III)] changes. The results show scope for potentially better solid-liquid separation in iron precipitation processes through controlling feed [Fe(III)]. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Sludge dewatering behaviour is a function of iron feed concentration at low tenors (50–800 mg/L). • Particle size has a negligible effect on the dewatering behaviour. • Agglomeration is the dominant size enlargement mechanism. • Transition occurs around 300 mg/L from spherical to 'jungle-gym' particle matrix structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an advanced oxidation process of Fenton Process was applied to meat processing wastewater sludge for the purpose of sludge disintegration before anaerobic digestion. Fenton Process was applied to the meat processing wastewater sludge samples were taken from a treatment plant located in Denizli, Turkey. In the first stage of the study, experiments were carried out to optimize the process conditions in terms of disintegration using Box-Wilson Statistical Design. Ferrous iron and hydrogen peroxide concentrations were chosen as process variable and disintegration degree parameter based on soluble chemical oxygen demand calculations used as process response. 13% of disintegration degree was obtained at 90 gH2O2/kg Dried Solids and 3 g Fe(III)/kg Dried Solids. After optimization studies for disintegration, sludge digestion studies were carried out using Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) Test. BMP test results showed that Fenton Process can be used as a sludge disintegration purpose and application of Fenton Process before anaerobic digestion causes 33% higher methane gas production comparing the non-pretreated sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with pre-treatment of biological sludge by electro-oxidation process. Disintegration used before anaerobic digestion processes for improving biodegradability of sludge, and conditioning used to increase mechanical dewatering performance of sludge were chosen as pre-treatment methods. The effect of electro-oxidation on polymer requirement of sludge in chemical conditioning processes was also evaluated. Titanium electrode coated with Ruthenium dioxide (Ti/RuO2) and stainless-steel electrode was used as anode and cathode, respectively in electro-oxidation experiments. Disintegration and conditioning performances of the method were evaluated with disintegration degree (DD) and percent decrease in capillary suction time (ECST) parameter using response surface methodology (RSM). Optimum conditions were determined as 20 volt for 30 min for disintegration (DD=33.4%), addition of supporting electrolyte (10 g/L Na2SO4) provided to improve disintegration performance of sludge (DD=40.8%), also. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) results indicated that electro- oxidation improves the biodegradability of sludge. An increase of 39.6% methane gas production in electrooxidized sludge was reached, comparing to the raw sludge at the end of the 40 days of incubation. Optimum conditions were determined as 30 V and 20 min for conditioning (ECST=32.1%) and 50% decrease in polymer requirement of sludge with this application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filterability of beer is influenced by filtration technology as well as beer composition. Because of this, it is difficult to predict the filterability of beer at a laboratory scale. Over the years, various approaches for the measurement of filterability have been proposed, which are neither informative nor practical for the assessment of crossflow membrane filtration. Therefore, the aim of this study was the development of a test to determine filter efficiency and performance of beer during crossflow membrane filtration (CFMF). In this context, filter efficiency describes the ratio of filtered beer volume between two filter periods, which are interrupted by an intermediate cleaning step of the polyether sulfone membranes. The comparison of 32 beer samples and their filter efficiency had an average difference of 1.8% between industrial and laboratory scale. Furthermore, evaluation of filter performance was performed on the basis of industrial CFMF data. Three categories of filter performance at industrial scale were defined – 'bad' (0–1.5 hL/m2), 'acceptable' (1.5–3 hL/m2) and 'good' (>3 hL/m2) – and compared with a corresponding flow rate resulting in a correlation of r = 0.867 (p < 0.001). Therefore, the developed membrane filter test allows the prediction of filter efficiency and performance for CFMF based on one method. Owing to the good comparability of the results, the filter test can be used for the prediction of filterability, together with the optimisation of filtration and membrane cleaning processes as well as daily production scheduling. © 2018 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dokuz Eylul University Muhendislik Faculty of Engineering Journal of Science & Engineering / Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Fen ve Mühendislik Dergisi is the property of Dokuz Eylul Universitesi Muhendislik Fakultesi Fen ve Muhendislik Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Filter plugging problems caused by some biodiesel components have recently discouraged biodiesel users and suppliers, and triggered normalization actions to limit operability problems in diesel engines. Bioalcohols have proven to be a sustainable alternative as diesel components, although light ones such as methanol and ethanol are limited by their weak miscibility with diesel fuel. Additionally, they have potential to improve the cold flow properties of diesel and biodiesel fuels as far as they remain within the miscible range. With the aim to quantify these improvements, ethanol and n -butanol were blended with diesel and biodiesel fuels showing benefits in cold filter plugging point, cloud point, pour point, freezing point and filterability from certain concentrations. At intermediate alcohol contents, some properties were affected by the formation of a gelatinous phase or by phase separation. For example, immiscible blends led to increases in cloud point and cold filter plugging point, but to decreases in pour point. This information is useful to diagnose separation events in practical blends, and to prevent filter clogging problems. Other n -alcohols were also tested to propose a general equation to predict cold filter plugging point of alcohol blends in diesel and biodiesel blends. Results from filterability test, carried out at ambient temperature, anticipate cold flow problems in miscible blends, but not in immiscible ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of nitrogen on biological performance and sludge filterability of anaerobic membrane bioreactors was investigated in two lab-scale cross-flow anaerobic membrane bioreactors that were fed with cheese whey at two different COD:TKN ratios (50 and 190). Nitrogen deprivation adversely affected the biological treatment performance and reactor stability, as indicated by volatile fatty acids accumulation. On the other hand, nitrogen (urea) supplementation resulted in a reduced sludge median particle size and decreased sludge filterability. Standard filterability parameters such as capillary suction time and specific resistance to filtration tended to rapidly increase in the nitrogen supplemented reactor. The critical fluxes in the nitrogen limited and supplemented reactors were 20 and 9 L m −2 h −1 , respectively. The rapid deterioration of sludge filterability under nitrogen supplemented conditions was attributed to abundant growth of dispersed biomass. Thus, the COD:TKN ratio of wastewater affected both bioconversion and filterability performance in the anaerobic membrane bioreactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention and removal of fouling is often the most energy intensive process in Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs), responsible for 40% to 50% of the total specific energy consumed in submerged MBRs. In the past decade, methods were developed to quantify and qualify fouling, aiming to support optimization in MBR operation. Therefore, there is a need for an evaluation of the lessons learned and how to proceed. In this article, five different methods for measuring MBR activated sludge filterability and critical flux are described, commented and evaluated. Both parameters characterize the fouling potential in full-scale MBRs. The article focuses on the Delft Filtration Characterization method (DFCm) as a convenient tool to characterize sludge properties, namely on data processing, accuracy, reproducibility, reliability, and applicability, defining the boundaries of the DFCm. Significant progress was made concerning fouling measurements in particular by using straight forward approaches focusing on the applicability of the obtained results. Nevertheless, a fouling measurement method is still to be defined which is capable of being unequivocal, concerning the fouling parameters definitions; practical and simple, in terms of set-up and operation; broad and useful, in terms of obtained results. A step forward would be the standardization of the aforementioned method to assess the sludge filtration quality.

In order to find a model solution to simulate actual extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) solution in terms of filterability behavior, a series of experiments were conducted in a dead-end unstirred cell with 0.1 µm polyvinylidene fluoride membranes using binary/ternary mixtures consisting of sodium alginate (SA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA). Three target parameters (cumulative filtrate volume (CFV), specific cake resistance (αc) and rejection (R)) were compared and the roles of mixture components were investigated. The order of degree of influence on CFV, αc and R in ternary mixture was SA (94.5%, 85.6% and 88.2%, respectively)> BSA (5.2%, 10.3% and 8.0%)>HA (0.3%, 4.1% and 3.8%). Meanwhile, when the composition of ternary mixture was SA/BSA/HA= 285.1/150.1/10.2 mg⋅L-1, the deviation for CFV, αc and R was 7.65%, 19.6% and 7.27%, respectively, while the corresponding values for the most suitable binary solution (SA/BSA= 140.4/50.35 mg⋅L-1) were -12%, 1% and 164% respectively. This indicated that the ternary solution demonstrated a more accurate estimation than the binary solution for imitating the filterability of actual EPS solution. Therefore, the ternary mixture could be employed efficiently to replace the actual EPS solution in terms of three target parameters in practice applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMC is chemically modified from natural cellulose and widely applied in various industries. CMC wastewater consists mainly of sodium glycolate, sodium chloride and water. With extremely high COD and salinity, high concentration CMC wastewater can’t be biologically treated, but with COD and salinity around 15000 mg/L and 30000 mg/L respectively, low concentration CMC wastewater can be aerobically treated. In a CMC factory, the treatment of low concentration wastewater with aerobic MBR was successful except for one serious problem: poor filterability. Two trial solutions: adding micronutrients and applying MBBR were expected to improve the filterability. In the experiment, adding micronutrients was achieved by mixing filtered natural water into the wastewater, rather than dosing chemicals into it. The treatment efficiency of both solutions was close, but adding micronutrients showed distinguished performance in improving filterability, which includes higher filtration flux and slighter membrane fouling. Adding micronutrients also effectively improved the filterability under severe salinity shock.

Two different size fractions of crushed apricot stone shells were prepared and characterized to investigate the use of this material in granular filters. Density, equivalent diameter, percent water absorption, sphericity, and bed porosity were determined to characterize the particles. Two different sets of leaching tests were performed to quantify the amount of organic matter released from apricot stone medium in water: (i) the amount of organic carbon that passes to water when the particles and water are contacted in a well-mixed batch container, and (ii) the organic carbon found in the filtrate of a fixed bed of apricot stone particles. The Ives’ filterability test was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of removing particulates from a surface water as a function of apricot stone fraction size and coagulant dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley sorting is an important step for selecting grain of required quality for malting prior to brewing. However, brewing with unmalted barley with added enzymes has been thoroughly proven, raising the question of whether traditional sorting for high quality malting-barley is still necessary. To gain more insight on this, we examine realtime viscosity of sorted-out and unsorted barley during downscaled mashing with added enzymes in comparison with malting quality sorted barley. A rapid visco analyser was used to simulate brewery mashing process at lab scale together with two commercial enzymes (Ondea ® -Pro and Cellic ® -CTec2). During downscaled mashing, viscosity profile of sorted-out barley was markedly different from others, irrespective of enzyme type, whereas a small difference was observed between the sorted and un-sorted barley. Furthermore, whilst sorted-out barley generated lowest sugar-concentration, unsorted and sorted barley resulted in higher sugar-content, regardless of the enzyme used. In terms of filterability, the Ondea ® -Pro treatment resulted in significantly lower-turbidity and smaller particle-size compared to Cellic ® -CTec2; however, this effect was observed in sorted and unsorted barley but not in sorted-out barley. Consequently, we find that unsorted barley demonstrates great potential for brewing with added enzymes and its use may help to improve sustainability of the brewing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current development of analytical centrifugation methods facilitates the experimental characterization of dispersion stability and optimization of separation processes (such as centrifugation and filtration). Nevertheless, theoretical analysis of the centrifugal data remains rather complex. In addition, different side effects can influence the centrifugal process and complicate data interpretation. The present paper proposes a simple method for characterization of filterability of concentrated aggregated suspensions by centrifugal consolidation. Different experimental protocols were tested in order to reduce the influence of side effects. Selection of the optimal protocol was based on X-ray analysis of local (spatially resolved) consolidated sample structure. The multistep centrifugal consolidation with constant centrifugal acceleration ratio is suggested. Data analysis based on a single numerical solution of a basic consolidation equation yields the pressure dependency of specific cake resistance. A satisfactory correspondence (15% difference) was observed between the pressure dependency of specific cake resistance determined from the proposed multistep centrifugal consolidation, and conventional constant pressure dead-end filtration experiments for the studied concentrated aggregated kaolin suspension in the pressure range of 7.5…170 kPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimizing particles in water is a key goal for improving drinking water quality and safety. The media filtration process, as the last step of the solid–liquid separation process, is largely influenced by the characteristics of flocs, which are formed and controlled within the coagulation process. In a laboratory-based study, the impacts of the physical characteristics of flocs formed using aluminum sulfate on the filtration treatment of two comparative water samples were investigated using a photometric dispersion analyzer and a filterability apparatus. In general, the optimum dosage for maximizing filterability was higher than that for minimizing turbidity under neutral pH conditions. For a monomeric aluminum-based coagulant, the charge neutralization mechanism produced better floc characteristics, including floc growth speed and size, than the sweep flocculation mechanism. In addition, the charge neutralization mechanism showed better performance compared to sweep flocculation in terms of DOC removal and floc filterability improvement for both waters, and showed superiority in turbidity removal only when the raw water had high turbidity. For the different mechanisms, the ways that floc characteristics impacted on floc filterability also differed. The low variation in floc size distribution obtained under the charge neutralization mechanism resulted in the flocs being amenable to removal by filtration processes. For the sweep flocculation mechanism, increasing the floc size improved the settling ability of flocs, resulting in higher filter efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to ISO 13357, the filterability of different turbine base oils is measured. It is found that the dry filterability of eight kinds of base oil is better than 100, but there are great differences in the wet filterability, which is significantly lower than respective dry filterability. The relationships between the difference of the filterability and the oil/water interfacial tension are investigated. The results show that the cause of the difference between dry and wet filterability is the hydrogen bonds and the oil/water interfacial tension for the same oil. As for the base oil with ISO viscosity grades (VG) 32, the wet filterability increases with the increase of the oil/water interface tension. On the other hand, the base oil with ISO VG 68, there is no significant correlation between oil/water interface tension and wet filterability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of SRT (infinite, 60 and 30 days) on the treatment and filtration characteristics of sequential anaerobic sulfate-reducing and aerobic sulfide-oxidizing MBRs treating textile wastewater. The influent COD, dye and sulfate concentrations were kept constant at 2000, 200 and 1000 mg/L, respectively. The decreased SRT caused substantial and partial decreases in COD oxidation and sulfate reduction, respectively, due to decrease of biomass concentration. Complete color removal was observed in the AnMBR and a slight increase in color was detected in the AeMBR. Sludge filterabilities were assessed with specific resistance to filtration, capillary suction time, and supernatant filterability tests. Compact and non-porous cake layer formed in the AnMBR. Metal-sulfide and Ca-P were detected in the cake layers of AnMBR and AeMBR, respectively, by SEM-EDS analyses. Desulfuromonas thiophila and Thioalkalivibrio sulfidiphilus were dominant sulfate-reducing and sulfide oxidizing bacteria in AnMBR and AeMBR, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate filterability enhancement of activated sludge supplied form a full-scale leachate treatment plant by applying DC electric field while keeping the biological operational conditions in desirable range. The activated sludge samples were received from the nitrification tank in the leachate treatment plant of Istanbul's Odayeri Sanitary Landfill Site. Experimental sets were conducted as laboratory-scale batch studies and were duplicated for 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A of electrical currents and 2, 5, 10, 15, and 30 min of exposure times under continuous aeration. Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, and oxidation reduction potential in the mixture right after each experimental set and biochemical parameters such as chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, and ammonia nitrogen in supernatant were analyzed to define the sets that remain in the range of ideal biological operational conditions. Later on, sludge filterability properties such as capillary suction time, specific resistance to filtration, zeta potential, and particle size were measured for remaining harmless sets. Additionally, cost analyses were conducted in respect to energy and electrode consumptions. Application of 2A DC electric field and 15-min exposure time was found to be the most favorable conditions to enhance filterability of the landfill leachate-activated sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the footprint requirements of membrane bioreactors (MBR)s can both decrease the surface area needs for new wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)s, and increase the treatment capacities of existing WWTPs at a given surface area. In addition, it may promote the development of movable/portable containerized MBRs for a diverse range of wastewater treatment applications. Applications may include the provision of municipal/industrial wastewater treatment in remote areas without sewerage, and the provision of sanitation services under challenging site-specific conditions such as after the occurrence of a human-made or a natural disaster. The reduction of the footprint requirements of MBRs is constrained by the maximum amount of biomass that can be accommodated in the aerobic basin. The biomass concentration is mainly limited by the extremely low oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) experienced by conventional aeration bubble diffuser systems at mixed liquor total suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations higher than 20 g L −1 . Another potential limitation for the operation of MBRs at such high MLSS concentrations is the reduction on the membrane permeability due to excessive fouling. A pilot MBR with a treatment capacity of one m 3 d −1 was installed at the research hall facilities at the Harnaschpolder wastewater treatment plant in Delft, The Netherlands. The MBR was operated at MLSS concentrations of up to 28 g L −1 at sludge retention times (SRT)s ranging from 30 to 35 days. The MBR was provided with a Speece cone concentrated oxygen delivery system to overcome the oxygen transfer limitations of conventional bubble diffuser aeration systems at high MLSS concentrations. The MBR performance was evaluated by monitoring the influent and effluent water quality, the membrane permeability, the sludge filterability, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, and the oxygen uptake rate (OUR). The Speece cone proved to be effective in delivering enough oxygen to maintain DO concentrations in the MBR of approximately 2 mg L −1 at MLSS concentrations of up to 22 g L −1 . OUR values above 200 mg L −1 h −1 were observed at 14 g L −1 MLSS and higher than 300 mg L −1 h −1 at 22 g L −1 MLSS. The MBR exhibited chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies of up to 99% even at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) as low as 3.7 h. A reduction in permeability from 33 to 11 lmh bar −1 was observed when the MLSS concentrations increased from 18.7 to 27.8 g L −1 . Sludge filterability values expressed as the added resistance (ΔR 20 ) fell in the range of “poor filterability” for all the evaluated operational conditions; however, a lower filtration resistance in the range of “moderate filterability” at approximately 23 g L −1 MLSS was noticed. The experimental results suggest that at the evaluated experimental conditions the existent limitations on poor oxygen transfer and low permeability when operating a MBR at high MLSS concentrations can be overcome; therefore, the footprint requirements of MBR systems may be further reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Filterability can be used to monitor sludge resistance during filtration. • Sludge solids and soluble compounds content can be estimated from its filterability. • Filterability is controlled by solids or soluble compounds depending of its nature. • Capillary suction time is suggested for sewage sludge filterability determination. This study aimed to evaluate the capability of different methodologies for determining sludge filterability and estimate filtration resistance during real filtration processes. Three filterability methods were applied during this study: capillary suction time (CST), time to filter (TTF), and specific resistance to filtration (SRF). These methods were evaluated using three different sludge sources: aerobic activated sludge, supernatant from a primary settler further concentrated by ultrafiltration membranes (PSE), and digestate from the anaerobic co-digestion of microalgae and primary sludge. These sludge sources were taken from systems treating municipal wastewater entering to a full-scale wastewater treatment facility. The capability of CST, TTF and SRF to estimate total suspended solids (TSS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) concentrations was also assessed, while validating the results obtained with the real filtration process of the operated membrane-based systems. The results suggested that both TSS and SMP concentrations significantly affect filterability. However, each sludge filterability was mainly dominated by one of these parameters (TSS or SMP), being the biological sludge more influenced by the SMP content, while the PSE filterability was mainly controlled by the TSS concentration. SRF method resulted in poor correlations between filterability and TSS and SMP concentrations, especially regarding SMP. CST method resulted in good correlations for all treated sludge regardless the TSS and SMP concentration. However, when treating sludge without an important biological activity (e.g. PSE), TTF method was identified as the best option due to its better correlation with the experimentally determined sludge filtration resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever increasing demands on productivity, performance, worker's safety, as well as realization of total cost management lead to new and higher requirements placed on industrial lubricants. Higher machining speeds and new processes may cause much more thermal stress to the whole lubricating system. The paper will focus on comparison of traditional and modern hydraulic additive technology, considering highly refined base oils, compatibility of additive systems as well as widely used specification requirements.

Beer filterability is strongly related to the amount and molar mass distribution of β-glucan. Different commercial quantification methods yield different β-glucan concentrations and beer filterability. In order to acquire detailed information on the measureable molar mass and its impact on beer filtration, six high-throughput methods were developed and analysed. These methods involve three calibration standards (Skandinavisk Bryggeri Laboratorium standard, SBL; Megazyme standard for continuous flow analyser, CFA; and 650 kDa standard) and two dyes (Calcofluor and Congo red). Significant correlation was observed between cellulose nitrate membrane filtration and fluorometrically determined β-glucan content (SBL calibration: r = 0.604, P < 0.001; CFA calibration: r = 0.687, P < 0.001). However, no correlation was observed with the colorimetric methods. Polyethersulphone membrane filtration correlated significantly with specific viscosity ( r = 0.710, P < 0.001) and fluorometrically determined β-glucan content (CFA calibration: r = 0.586, P < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between the filtration performance of diatomaceous earth and the established beer properties. No correlation between the developed colorimetric and fluorometric methods was found using the SBL and CFA standards. However, a significant correlation was observed with the 650 kDa standard ( r = 0.836, P < 0.001). A wide variation, especially between the dyes, was observed in the measurable β-glucan molar mass distribution determined using field-flow fractionation. Our results demonstrate the impact of method parameters on β-glucan concentration. Thus, known β-glucan thresholds regarding filterability must be reconsidered. We conclude that a valid β-glucan quantification method can provide reliable information on beer filterability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of confining pressures on filterability of single structure briquette coal, this paper sets three schemes of seepage experiments. First scheme, inlet water pressure affects the filterability. Second scheme, confining pressure affects the filterability. Third scheme, axial compression affects the filterability. All of these experiments use briquette coal as specimens. The results shows that Filterability of coal briquette becomes larger while the inlet water pressure gets greater, and under conditions of low water pressure, filterability of coal briquette increases first and then decrease with the increase of inlet water pressure. Both inlet water pressure and confining pressure have an effect on filterability of coal briquettes. To determine the influence of other factors further experimental studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitumen froth generated during the oil recovery operation from Athabasca oil sands needs to be cleaned to remove water and fine mineral solids for subsequent bitumen upgrading or pipeline transport. Two currently used bitumen froth cleaning methods, naphthenic froth treatment (NFT) and paraffinic froth treatment (PFT), either cannot generate market-spec bitumen froth (NFT) or causes losses of bitumen (PFT). In this study, a combination of hydrothermal treatment, venting and filtration was investigated to clean the bitumen froth. Laboratory hydrothermal treatment was conducted at 300–420 °C for 0–180 min. The filterability of fine solids was quantitatively characterized by room-temperature filtration or hot filtration at 200 °C. Mineralogical composition and particle size distribution of the untreated and treated fine solids were determined by quantitative X-ray diffraction using RockJock and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) particle size analyzer. The microscopic observation of clay particle stacking behavior at the filter cake-filter medium interface was made by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that hydrothermal treatment followed by venting and filtration is an effective way to remove water and fine solids from bitumen froth: the water content was reduced from 14 wt% to 0.03 wt%, and the fine solids content was reduced from 8 wt% to 0.08 wt% by hot filtration at 200 °C using a 0.5 μm pore size stainless steel filter medium. After hydrothermal treatment, no noticeable changes were observed to the clay mineralogy and fine solids particle size. However, the platy clay particles at the filter cake-filter medium interface turned from preferential orientation to random orientation due to the attachment of numerous ultrafine particles on the basal surface of the clay, increasing the porosity of the filter cake and facilitating the filtration. Such a change in the filter cake was hypothesized to be caused by the re-structuring of the organic-mineral aggregates into the ultrafine-particle-coated platy clays, releasing the organics and the ultrafine solids during the hydrothermal treatment. The released ultrafine solids then adsorbed onto the clay platelets. It was indeed observed that the total organic carbon content of the bulk fine solids decreased from 14.7 wt% to 10.3 wt%, but the carbon concentration on the fine solids surface increased from 35.6 at.% to 47.7 at.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purification of raw sugar beet juice expressed at ambient temperature (20 °C) from pretreated sugar beet slices by pulsed electric field (E = 600 V·cm − 1 , t PEF = 10 ms, T = 20 °C) was studied on the laboratory scale by dead-end ultrafiltration tests. Polyethersulfone (PES) and Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membranes with the same nominal molecular weight cut-off of 30 kDa were used. Experiments were carried out in unstirred and stirred (at rotation speed of 500 rpm) mode at constant trans-membrane pressure of 2 bar. The effects of the membrane polymer (Polyethersulfone and Regenerate Cellulose) on the filtration flux and the permeate quality were studied. In order to identify the fouling mechanism, the filtration kinetics was modeled using combined fouling models. Results showed that the filtration productivity (filtration flux) and selectivity (rejection ratio of impurities) depended on the membrane polymer. The juice filterability was better with Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membrane while the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane ensured a better retention of impurities (colorants, proteins and colloids), leading to a higher juice purity. Experimental and models data adjustment showed that combined models were preferable to investigate the fouling mechanism for both unstirred and stirred filtration. The desirable sugar purity (95–96%) of filtrate implies the potential application of a novel process (PEF treatment-cold pressing-ultrafiltration) for sugar industrial production. Industrial relevance Pre-treatment by pulsed electric field PEF allowed cold or mild extraction of sucrose from sugar beet roots. The combination of PEF and ultra-filtration allowed high yield sucrose extraction and purification with less energy consumption. Membrane fouling analysis led to better filtration producibility. The obtained data can be useful for optimization of the sucrose production with high yield in industrial extraction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]