Understanding Nanofiltration Fouling of Phenolic Compounds in Model Juice Solution with Two Membranes

Understanding membrane fouling mechanisms of key nutrition indicators in fruit juices during nanofiltration (NF) are important for quality control of products and manufacture processes. This study evaluated the effects of operating and molecular parameters of six phenolic compounds on fouling resistances during NF with two membranes. Results showed that fouling resistances and mechanisms were significantly different among the six representative phenolic compounds as a result of different molecular parameters such as acidity coefficient, molecular refractive index, octanol-water partition coefficient, and lipo-hydro partition coefficient. Operating time, solution concentration, and transmembrane pressure can also significantly affect the membrane fouling during nanofiltration of gallic acid solution. The images obtained by field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy on new, fouled, and cleaned membranes showed the fouling mechanisms intuitively. For phenolic compounds, a cake/gel layer as a reversible fouling was the main fouling resistance, and the adsorption was a significant role in the irreversible fouling resistance.