In high temperature and high pressure membrane filtration applications like reverse osmosis, plastic materials in the membrane and the permeate carrier soften due to high temperature and collapse due to high pressure. This phenomenon increases the hydraulic resistance of the permeate path and reduces the permeate flow in conventional spiral membrane module which has a small number of long membrane leaves. A short leaf membrane module dramatically reduces the hydraulic resistance of the permeate path and increases the productivity in high temperature high-pressure membrane filtration applications. The disadvantage of having a large number of leaves is the large unproductive membrane area consumed by seams. This is overcome by using an innovative seaming technique that allows extremely thin seams. The parameters for the manufacturing process will be optimized and prototype modules will be produced during the Phase I of the project. The modules will be tested for integrity and be used in bench top testing with several food process feed water sources. ANTICIPATED RESULTS & POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH A prototype short-leaf spiral membrane module will be manufactured, and tested on a bench-top level with several feed streams during the Phase I of the project. This module will make high temperature reverse osmosis applications like preconcentration of thin fruit juices, thin sugar beet juice and thin sugar cane juice viable commercial processes. Preconcentration of chromatographically separated sugar fraction in molasses desugarization plants, preconcentration of blancher water in potato par-frying and potato dehydrating plants, recovery of hot water for processing applications in a wide spectrum of industries will be made commercially viable by the success of this module.
