Cleaning efficiency enhancement by ultrasounds for membranes used in dairy industries

Membrane cleaning is a key point for the implementation of membrane technologies in the dairy industry for proteins concentration. In this study, four ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with different molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs) (5, 15, 30 and 50 kDa) and materials (polyethersulfone and ceramics) were fouled with three different whey model solutions: bovine serum albumin (BSA), BSA plus CaCl₂ and whey protein concentrate solution (Renylat 45). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of ultrasounds (US) on the membrane cleaning efficiency. The influence of ultrasonic frequency and the US application modes (submerging the membrane module inside the US bath or applying US to the cleaning solution) were also evaluated. The experiments were performed in a laboratory plant which included the US equipment and the possibility of using two membrane modules (flat sheet and tubular). The fouling solution that caused the highest fouling degree for all the membranes was Renylat 45. Results demonstrated that membrane cleaning with US was effective and this effectiveness increased at lower frequencies. Although no significant differences were observed between the two different US applications modes tested, slightly higher cleaning efficiencies values placing the membrane module at the bottom of the tank were achieved.     

Direct contact ultrasound for fouling control and flux enhancement in air-gap membrane distillation

Air Gap Membrane distillation (AGMD) is a thermally driven separation process capable of treating challenging water types, but its low productivity is a major drawback. Membrane fouling is a common problem in many membrane treatment systems, which exacerbates AGMD’s low overall productivity. In this study, we investigated the direct application of low-power ultrasound (8–23 W), as an in-line cleaning and performance boosting technique for AGMD. Two different highly saline feedwaters, namely natural groundwater (3970 μS/cm) and RO reject stream water (12760 μS/cm) were treated using Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Theoretical calculations and experimental investigations are presented, showing that the applied ultrasonic power range only produced acoustic streaming effects that enhanced cleaning and mass transfer. Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) analysis showed that ultrasound was capable of effectively removing silica and calcium scaling. Ultrasound application on a fouled membrane resulted in a 100% increase in the permeate flux. Cleaning effects accounted for around 30–50% of this increase and the remainder was attributed to mass transfer improvements. Contaminant rejection percentages were consistently high for all treatments (>99%), indicating that ultrasound did not deteriorate the membrane structure. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of the membrane surface was used to confirm this observation. The images of the membrane surface demonstrated that ultrasound successfully cleaned the previously fouled membrane, with no signs of structural damage. The results of this study highlight the efficient and effective application of direct low power ultrasound for improving AGMD performance.     

Ultrasound induced cleaning of polymeric nanofiltration membranes

Cleaning of the flat sheet nanofiltration membranes, using backflushing, chemical cleaning, and ultrasonication operated individually as well as in combination with chemicals, has been studied in the present work. Identical hydrophilic polyamide membranes were fouled individually using an aqueous solution containing a single dye, an aqueous solution containing a mixture of dyes, and a synthetically prepared petroleum refinery effluent. Effect of different parameters such as the concentration of cleaning solution, contact time, frequency, and power of ultrasound on the efficacy of membrane cleaning has been studied. Optimal cleaning was achieved under sonication conditions of frequency of 24 kHz and power dissipation of 135 W. It was demonstrated that application of sonication under optimum conditions without chemical agents, gave about 85% water flux recovery. In the case of combined chemical and ultrasonic treatment, it was clearly observed that the use of chemical agent increased the efficacy of ultrasonic cleaning. The hybrid method recovered the initial water flux to almost 90% based on the use of 1.0 M aqueous NaOH and 4 min of sonication. Overall, the use of aqueous NaOH in combination with sonication showed a better efficiency for cleaning than the individual processes thus demonstrating a new avenue for membrane cleaning.     

Numerical modelling of acoustic pressure fields to optimize the ultrasonic cleaning technique for cylinders

Fouling build up is a well-known problem in the offshore industry. Accumulation of fouling occurs in different structures, e.g. offshore pipes, ship hulls, floating production platforms. The type of fouling that accumulates is dependent on environmental conditions surrounding the structure itself. Current methods deployed for fouling removal span across hydraulic, chemical and manual, all sharing the common disadvantage of necessitating halting production for the cleaning process to commence. Conventionally, ultrasound is used in ultrasonic baths to clean a submerged component by the generation and implosion of cavitation bubbles on the fouled surface; this method is particularly used in Reverse Osmosis applications. However, this requires the submersion of the fouled structure and thus may require a halt to production. Large fouled structures such as pipelines may not be accommodated. The application of high power ultrasonics is proposed in this work as a means to remove fouling on a structure whilst in operation. The work presented in this paper consists of the development of a finite element analysis model based on successful cleaning results from a pipe fouled with calcite on the inner pipe wall. A Polytec 3D Laser Doppler Vibrometer was used in this investigation to study the fouling removal process. Results show the potential of high power ultrasonics for fouling removal in pipe structures from the wave propagation across the structure under excitation, and are used to validate a COMSOL model to determine cleaning patterns based on pressure and displacement distributions for future transducer array design and optimization.     

Cleaning results of new and fouled nanofiltration membrane characterized by contact angle, updated DSPM, flux and salts rejection

In membrane process industries, membrane cleaning is one of the most important concerns from both economical and scientific points of view. Though cleaning is important to recover membrane performance, an inappropriate selection of cleaning agents may result into unsatisfactory cleaning or irreparable membrane.In this study the cleaning performance has been studied with measurements of membrane contact angle, Updated Donnan steric partitioning pore model (UDSPM) and salt rejection as well as flux measurement. Thin film nanofiltration (NF) membranes such as DK, HL and DL provided by GE Osmonics are used in this study. Tests were carried out with virgin DK, HL and DL as well as fouled DK membranes. Several cleaning agents were investigated; some of them were analytical grade such as HCl, NaOH and others such as SDS, mix agents were commercial grade agents that are already in use in commercial plants. Contact angle, DSPM and salt rejection as well as flux of virgin and fouled membranes before and after chemical cleaning were measured and compared. The contact angle measurements with and without chemical cleaning of different virgin and fouled membranes revealed very interesting results which may be used to characterise the membrane surface cleanliness. The contact angle results revealed that the cleaning agents are found to modify membrane surface properties (hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity) of the treated and untreated virgin and fouled membranes. The details of these results were also investigated and are reported in the paper. However, UDSPM method did not give any valuable information about pore size of the untreated and treated NF membranes. The salt rejection level of monovalent and divalent ions before and after cleaning by high and low pH cleaning agents is also investigated and is reported in the paper.     

Recent advances in the application of ultrasound in dairy products: Effect on functional,physical, chemical,microbiological and sensory properties

Alternative methods for improving traditional food processing have increased in the last decades. Additionally, the development of novel dairy products is gaining importance due to an increased consumer demand for palatable, healthy, and minimally processed products. Ultrasonic processing or sonication is a promising alternative technology in the food industry as it has potential to improve the technological and functional properties of milk and dairy products. This review presents a detailed summary of the latest research on the impact of high-intensity ultrasound techniques in dairy processing. It explores the ways in which ultrasound has been employed to enhance milk properties and processes of interest to the dairy industry, such as homogenization, emulsification, yogurt and fermented beverages production, and food safety. Special emphasis has been given to ultrasonic effects on milk components; fermentation and spoilage by microorganisms; and the technological, functional, and sensory properties of dairy foods. Several current and potential applications of ultrasound as a processing technique in milk applications are also discussed in this review.     

Energetic study of ultrasonic wettability enhancement

Many industrial and biological interfacial processes, such as welding and breathing depend directly on wettability and surface tension phenomena. The most common methods to control the wettability are based on modifying the properties of the fluid or the substrate. The present work focuses on the use of high-frequency acoustic waves (ultrasound) for the same purpose. It is well known that ultrasound can effectively clean a surface by acoustic cavitation, hence ultrasonic cleaning technology. Besides the cleaning process itself, many authors have observed an important wettability enhancement when liquids are exposed to low and high (ultrasonic) frequency vibration. Ultrasound goes one step further as it can instantly adjust the contact angle by tuning the vibration amplitude, but there is still a lack of comprehension about the physical principles that explain this phenomenon. To shed light on it, a thermodynamic model describing how ultrasound decreases the contact angle in a three-phase wetting system has been developed. Moreover, an analytical and experimental research has been carried out in order to demonstrate that ultrasound is an important competitor to surfactants in terms of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.     

Ultrasonic processing of dairy systems in large scale reactors

High intensity low frequency ultrasound was used to process dairy ingredients to improve functional properties. Based on a number of lab-scale experiments, several experimental parameters were optimised for processing large volumes of whey and casein-based dairy systems in pilot scale ultrasonic reactors. A continuous sonication process at 20 kHz capable of delivering up to 4 kW of power with a flow-through reactor design was used to treat dairy ingredients at flow rates ranging from 200 to 6000 mL/min. Dairy ingredients treated by ultrasound included reconstituted whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein and milk protein retentates and calcium caseinate. The sonication of solutions with a contact time of less than 1 min and up to 2.4 min led to a significant reduction in the viscosity of materials containing 18% to 54% (w/w) solids. The viscosity of aqueous dairy ingredients treated with ultrasound was reduced by between 6% and 50% depending greatly on the composition, processing history, acoustic power and contact time. A notable improvement in the gel strength of sonicated and heat coagulated dairy systems was also observed. When sonication was combined with a pre-heat treatment of 80 °C for 1 min or 85 °C for 30 s, the heat stability of the dairy ingredients containing whey proteins was significantly improved. The effect of sonication was attributed mainly to physical forces generated through acoustic cavitation as supported by particle size reduction in response to sonication. As a result, the gelling properties and heat stability aspects of sonicated dairy ingredients were maintained after spray drying and reconstitution. Overall, the sonication procedure for processing dairy systems may be used to improve process efficiency, improve throughput and develop value added ingredients with the potential to deliver economical benefits to the dairy industry.     

Experimental aspects of ultrasonically enhanced cross-flow membrane filtration of industrial wastewater

Ultrasound based on-line cleaning for membrane filtration of industrial wastewater was studied. An ultrasonic transducer was assembled in the membrane module in order to get an efficient cleaning of membranes in fouling conditions. The focus of the studies was on the effects of the ultrasound propagation direction and frequency as well as the transmembrane pressure. The more open the membrane was the easier the membrane became plugged by wastewater colloids, when the ultrasound propagation direction was from the feed flow side of the membrane. If the membrane was tight enough, the ultrasound irradiated from the feed side of the membrane increased the flux significantly. However, in the circumstances studied, the power intensity needed during filtration was so high that the membranes eroded gradually at some spots of the membrane surface. It was discovered that the ultrasonic field produced by the used transducers was uneven in pressurised conditions. On the other hand, the ultrasound treatment at atmospheric pressure during an intermission pause in filtration turned out to be an efficient and, at the same time, a gentle method in membrane cleaning. The input power of 120 W (power intensity of 1.1 W/cm2) for a few seconds was sufficient for cleaning. The flux improvement was significant when using a frequency of 27 kHz but only minor when using 200 kHz.     

FEM-based time-reversal enhanced ultrasonic cleaning

Pipe fouling is a challenging problem in many industrial applications. Current cleaning techniques require halting the production during the cleaning phase and the existing methods are unable to do targeted cleaning, even though fouling is often localized to certain areas inside the pipeline. To address this issue, we use FEM-simulated, time-reversed signals to focus ultrasound power onto a pre-determined location: a fouled pipe residing inside a Plexiglas container. Ultrasound cleaning with similar acoustic power was compared to the time-reversal enhanced method in terms of cleaning efficiency. The cleaning efficiency was determined by measuring how much fouling, by mass, both protocols removed from the surface of a Plexiglas pipe, using similar input electric power and equal cleaning time. Our results indicate that the proposed time-reversal-based technique removes three times more fouling than the standard ultrasound cleaning without focusing. The study extends our previous paper on FEM-based time-reversal focusing [1].     

Membrane cleaning with ultrasonically driven bubbles

A laboratory filtration plant for drinking water treatment is constructed to study the conditions for purely mechanical in situ cleaning of fouled polymeric membranes by the application of ultrasound. The filtration is done by suction of water with defined constant contamination through a membrane module, a stack of five pairs of flat-sheet ultrafiltration membranes. The short cleaning cycle to remove the cake layer from the membranes includes backwashing, the application of ultrasound and air flushing. A special geometry for sound irradiation of the membranes parallel to their surfaces is chosen. Two frequencies, 35 kHz and 130 kHz, and different driving powers are tested for their cleaning effectiveness. No cleaning is found for 35 kHz, whereas good cleaning results are obtained for 130 kHz, with an optimum cleaning effectiveness at moderate driving powers. Acoustic and optic measurements in space and time as well as analytical considerations and numerical calculations reveal the reasons and confirm the experimental results. The sound field is measured in high resolution and bubble structures are high-speed imaged on their nucleation sites as well as during their cleaning work at the membrane surface. The microscopic inspection of the membrane surface after cleaning shows distinct cleaning types in the cake layer that are related to specific bubble behaviour on the membrane. The membrane integrity and permeate quality are checked on-line by particle counting and turbidity measurement of the permeate. No signs of membrane damage or irreversible membrane degradation in permeability are detected and an excellent water permeate quality is retained.     

Application of ultrasonic technology in postharvested fruits and vegetables storage: A review

It has been an important research topic and a serious applicable issue to extend storage time of fruits and vegetables using advanced scientific and effective technology. Among various approaches, ultrasound has been regarded as one of the most pollution-free and effective technical means to significantly improve the preservation of fruits and vegetables. This paper summarizes the application of ultrasonic technology in fruits and vegetables storage in recent years, including removal of pesticide residues and cleaning, sterilization, enzyme inactivation, effect on physico-chemical indexes. Additionally, we also discussed limitations and negative effects of ultrasonic treatment on fruits and vegetables such as damages to tissues and cells. Furthermore, a proper application of ultrasonic technology has been proven to effectively extend the storage period of postharvest fruits and vegetables and maintain the quality. Moreover, the combination of ultrasound and other conventional preservation technologies can further improve the preservation in a coordinate manner and even have a broader application prospect.     

Sono-leather technology with ultrasound: a boon for unit operations in leather processing - review of our research work at Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), India

Ultrasound is a sound wave with a frequency above the human audible range of 16Hz to 16kHz. In recent years, numerous unit operations involving physical as well as chemical processes are reported to have been enhanced by ultrasonic irradiation. There have been benefits such as improvement in process efficiency, process time reduction, performing the processes under milder conditions and avoiding the use of some toxic chemicals to achieve cleaner processing. These could be a better way of augmentation for the processes as an advanced technique. The important point here is that ultrasonic irradiation is physical method activation rather than using chemical entities. Detailed studies have been made in the unit operations related to leather such as diffusion rate enhancement through porous leather matrix, cleaning, degreasing, tanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, oil-water emulsification process and solid-liquid tannin extraction from vegetable tanning materials as well as in precipitation reaction in wastewater treatment. The fundamental mechanism involved in these processes is ultrasonic cavitation in liquid media. In addition to this there also exist some process specific mechanisms for the enhancement of the processes. For instance, possible real-time reversible pore-size changes during ultrasound propagation through skin/leather matrix could be a reason for diffusion rate enhancement in leather processing as reported for the first time. Exhaustive scientific research work has been carried out in this area by our group working in Chemical Engineering Division of CLRI and most of these benefits have been proven with publications in valued peer-reviewed international journals. The overall results indicate that about 2-5-fold increase in the process efficiency due to ultrasound under the given process conditions for various unit operations with additional benefits. Scale-up studies are underway for converting these concepts in to a real viable larger scale operation. In the present paper, summary of our research findings from employing this technique in various unit operations such as cleaning, diffusion, emulsification, particle-size reduction, solid-liquid leaching (tannin and natural dye extraction) as well as precipitation has been presented.     

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of ginseng saponins from ginseng roots and cultured ginseng cells

Ultrasound-assisted extraction was evaluated as a simpler and more effective alternative to conventional extraction methods for the isolation of ginsenosides (saponins) from various types of ginseng. The ginseng samples were extracted with different solvents, under either direct sonication by an ultrasound probe horn or indirect sonication in an ultrasound cleaning bath. The ultrasonic extraction was compared with the conventional method of refluxing boiling solvents in a soxhlet extractor, on the yields of both the total saponin isolated by thin-layer chromatography and the individual ginsenosides by high performance liquid chromatography. It was found that the sonication-assisted extraction of ginseng saponins was about three times faster than the traditional extraction method. The ultrasonic extraction was not only more efficient but also convenient for the recovery and purification of the active ingredients of plant materials. In addition, the sonication-assisted extraction can be carried out at lower temperatures which are favorable for the thermally unstable compounds.     

Visualization and minimization of disruptive bubble behavior in ultrasonic field

Although ultrasonic technology has been successfully adopted for semiconductor cleaning, a recent trend of extreme miniaturization of patterns calls for a novel process that can remove contaminant particles without damaging nanoscale patterns. Unstable bubble oscillations have been hypothesized to cause such surface damages, and here we show direct visualization results that a high acoustic pressure induces bubble instability leading to pattern damages. As a remedy for the conventional ultrasonic cleaning scheme, we introduce a novel cleaning system using dual transducers, in which one transducer generates bubbles with a high acoustic pressure in an acoustically isolated sub-chamber and the other drives the oscillation of bubbles around the cleaning area at a low acoustic pressure. The system is shown to achieve a high cleaning efficiency for submicron-sized particles while significantly suppressing the disruptive bubble instability thereby reducing the detachment of firmly attached nanoparticles. Comparison of the adhesion force of the firmly attached nanoparticles and the yield strength of nanopatterns allows us to anticipate that this scheme is capable of reducing damages of nanopatterns on semiconductor wafers and photomasks.     

Ultrasound-enhanced membrane-cleaning processes applied water treatments: influence of sonic frequency on filtration treatments

Ultrasound (US) cleaning technique was applied to remove fouling of ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes which were used to treat peptone and milk aqueous solutions, respectively. Membrane operations were performed by cross-flow filtration with 60 kPa operating pressure in an US field. The US employed had 28, 45 and 100 kHz frequency with 23 W/cm(2) output power. For each polymeric membrane made of polysulfone UF and cellulose MF, cleaning experiments were carried out with and without US after fouling. The fouled UF and MF membranes showed volume flux decline, but the membrane property was recovered by US irradiation. It was found in 28 kHz frequency that water cleaning was effective for recovery of declined condition due to fouling. Also, US-enhanced permeability of membranes was discussed in both membrane systems. We observed that US decreased the fouling condition in both membrane systems when US was irradiated before fouling. It was found that 28 kHz frequency US could enhance formation of the fouled layer in both filtration systems of peptone and milk solution.     

Study and optimization of the ultrasound-enhanced cleaning of an ultrafiltration ceramic membrane through a combined experimental–statistical approach

Membrane fouling is one of the main drawbacks of ultrafiltration technology during the treatment of dye-containing effluents. Therefore, the optimization of the membrane cleaning procedure is essential to improve the overall efficiency. In this work, a study of the factors affecting the ultrasound-assisted cleaning of an ultrafiltration ceramic membrane fouled by dye particles was carried out. The effect of transmembrane pressure (0.5, 1.5, 2.5 bar), cross-flow velocity (1, 2, 3 m s⁻¹), ultrasound power level (40%, 70%, 100%) and ultrasound frequency mode (37, 80 kHz and mixed wave) on the cleaning efficiency was evaluated. The lowest frequency showed better results, although the best cleaning performance was obtained using the mixed wave mode.A Box–Behnken Design was used to find the optimal conditions for the cleaning procedure through a response surface study. The optimal operating conditions leading to the maximum cleaning efficiency predicted (32.19%) were found to be 1.1 bar, 3 m s⁻¹ and 100% of power level.Finally, the optimized response was compared to the efficiency of a chemical cleaning with NaOH solution, with and without the use of ultrasound. By using NaOH, cleaning efficiency nearly triples, and it improves up to 25% by adding ultrasound.     

The effects of ultrasonic treated whey on the structure formation in food systems based on whey in combination with pectin and agar-agar

We studied the effects of ultrasonicated whey in food systems with the structure-forming additives such as pectin and agar-agar. The high-intensity (45KHz, 40 W with cavitation) ultrasonic treated whey was used. The conditions and optimal modes of cavitation based ultrasonic processing of curd milk whey have been determined. The mechanism of structure formation has been studied in detail.From the studies carried out, the scientific basis for the choice of structure-forming agents in food systems was established along with the range of rational concentrations of pectin and agar-agar. It was shown that in the case of processing milk curd whey by the cavitation method, the concentration of the structure former can be reduced by 2 times compared to using non-sonicated whey in the food system thus saving costs on the raw materials.It was established that high-purity cavity treatment minimizes gel-like food systems set time up to 20% compared to the control within 15 min. The duration of high-purity treatment within 15 min contributes to an increase in penetration pressure, which characterizes the texture of the gel-like food two times.     

Ultrasonic cavitation: An effective cleaner and greener intensification technology in the extraction and surface modification of nanocellulose

With rising consumer demand for natural products, a greener and cleaner technology, i.e., ultrasound-assisted extraction, has received immense attention given its effective and rapid isolation for nanocellulose compared to conventional methods. Nevertheless, the application of ultrasound on a commercial scale is limited due to the challenges associated with process optimization, high energy requirement, difficulty in equipment design and process scale-up, safety and regulatory issues. This review aims to narrow the research gap by placing the current research activities into perspectives and highlighting the diversified applications, significant roles, and potentials of ultrasound to ease future developments. In recent years, enhancements have been reported with ultrasound assistance, including a reduction in extraction duration, minimization of the reliance on harmful chemicals, and, most importantly, improved yield and properties of nanocellulose. An extensive review of the strengths and weaknesses of ultrasound-assisted treatments has also been considered. Essentially, the cavitation phenomena enhance the extraction efficiency through an increased mass transfer rate between the substrate and solvent due to the implosion of microbubbles. Optimization of process parameters such as ultrasonic intensity, duration, and frequency have indicated their significance for improved efficiency.     

Large scale sonochemical processing: aspiration and actuality

It has been recognised for many years that power ultrasound has great potential in a wide variety of processes in the chemical and allied industries. Some of these processes have been known for many years and continue to flourish as major commercial applications, e.g. plastic welding and cleaning. Others, like ultrasonic drilling, while showing great potential have not been widely exploited to date. The potential for the industrial use of power ultrasound is enormous, and yet industry seems somewhat reluctant to adopt it. In this article the existing uses of power ultrasound in processing are reviewed and the potentials are explored.