Membrane Separation

Food Processing Industry

Introduction
Results from a study recently conducted by EPRI indicate
that the potential for saving energy and reducing CO2
emissions by expanding end-use applications of
electricity is significant.1 As the study showed,
Technology Description
converting existing and anticipated residential,
Membrane separation provides industrial operators with the ability to separate extremely
commercial, and industrial equipment and processes
small diameter solid particles from liquids, to filter out specific solutes from a solution,
from traditional fossil-fueled technologies to more
and to separate one liquid from another by the use of sophisticated semi-porous
efficient electric technologies can result in annual
ceramic, sintered metal, or polymeric film membranes. Membrane separation can be
energy savings in 2030 of 5.32 quadrillion BTUs per
year and CO2 reductions of 320 million metric tons considered a modern, highly efficient, versatile form of the traditional filtering process.

per year. Another recently completed report identified The objective is still the same: removing one component, such as a solid, from a second
promising research and development opportunities for component, such as a liquid, or separating a given molecular component from a
electric technologies in industrial applications.2 These solution.
reports have identified several potentially beneficial
electric technologies that have very low market Figure 1 shows an illustration of a spiral wound membrane. In this arrangement, a
penetration in the industrial sector and are good gaseous solution is fed under pressure between membrane layers, parallel to the axis of
candidates for demonstration projects. the spiraled layers, and through flow channels created by feed spacers. After passing
The use of membrane separation in industrial across the membrane, the filtered permeate works its way through flow channels
applications represents one of these opportunities. This created by permeate spacers toward a collection pipe in the center of the spiral
paper highlights the advantages of this electric membrane. The residue flows out between the layers of the membrane.
technology over conventional fossil-fueled technologies
used in the industrial sector. Specific emphasis is on Figure 1: Schematic of a Spiral Wound Membrane
estimating the potential for membrane separation, in
general, and reverse osmosis (RO), in particular, to
save energy and reduce CO2 emissions. For this
technology, benefits other than energy savings and
CO2 reductions make it worthwhile to demonstrate.

This paper begins with an overview of membrane

separation technologies, followed by a description of
typical industrial membrane applications. From the
various types of membranes and applications, the
paper focuses on the benefits that one specific
membrane technology and application brings to a
typical plant that uses the technology. The technology is
an RO membrane and the application is treating
process water for reuse as boiler makeup water in a
margarine processing plant. The paper concludes with
an estimation of the regional and national potential for
saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions by Courtesy of MTR, Inc. www.mtrinc.com/faq.html

expanding applications of membranes in the food 1. The Potential to Reduce CO2 Emissions by Expanding End-Use Applications of Electricity, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA:
processing industry. 2009. 1018871.
2. Program on Technology Innovation: Industrial Electrotechnology Development Opportunities, EPRI, Palo Alto, CA:
2009. 1019416.
Membrane separation is typically broken down
into four sub-technologies based on pore size of
the filter component, namely:
Microfiltration: Microfiltration is the
coarsest of the four membrane technologies. It
is applicable for separating suspended solids
with particulate diameters greater than 0.1
microns. The pressure drop across the
membrane ranges from 1 to 25 psig.
Ultrafiltration: Ultrafiltration is used to
remove suspended particles with diameters of
less than 0.1 microns. The pressure drop
across the membrane is about four times
greater than with microfiltration and, as
expected, throughputs are lower. Ultrafiltration
retains substances with molecular weights
above 1000 to 500,000 daltons.
Nanofiltration: Nanofiltration, with its
smaller pore size, can be used to retain
molecules with molecular weights above 100
to 1000 daltons. The pressure drop across the
membrane is often more than double that of
ultrafiltration. One of the main advantages of
nanofiltration is that it can hold back molecules
like sugars while letting salts pass through.
Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis (RO)
uses the smallest pore sizes of the four
3. Membrane Separation Technologies, Study #1554, The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland, OH: 2002.
membrane separation processes, and can be
used to concentrate most water-based
solutions. RO retains substances with molecular
weights above 50 to 100 daltons, while
smaller molecules (such as water with a
molecular weight of 18 daltons) pass through
the filter. The pressure drop across the filter is
20 to 100 times greater than with
microfiltration.
Typically, the suitable choice of the membrane
and the type of filtration to use is made on a
case-by-case basis. To be effective, the selected
membrane must have pore diameters that will
allow one component to flow through the pores
in the membrane, while preventing the other
component from passing through. It is very
important to choose the correct type of mem-
brane in order to optimize and maintain the flow
rate. Therefore, a membrane with the maximum
pore size consistent with providing the desired
separation is usually selected.
Membrane technology can be considered
mature. It has been used commercially in the
U.S. for more than 70 years, with its first
applications in the water, wastewater, and
beverage industries. However, the penetration of
industrial membranes is expanding rapidly as a
result of technological advances and membrane
technologies are used today in the water,
wastewater, beverage, and food industries, as
well as the drug and medical markets. The
development of more advanced membrane
materials (particularly polymers, ceramics, and
sintered metals) has led to lower costs and
greater versatility. Newer membranes have
increased durability, improved efficiency, and
higher capacity and are less prone to clogging
than early membranes.
In 2001, food and beverage processing
accounted for 21% of the membrane market
(following water and wastewater treatment,
which accounted for 57%).3 In many industrial
sectors, membrane technology has the potential
to handle the majority of water treatment needs.
Though RO is currently the best available
membrane technology for water treatment
because of its ability to remove most impurities
from water, microfiltration still accounts for more
than half of the share of membrane processes.
However, the demand for finer membranes such
as nanofiltration and RO is projected to increase
sharply in the near future. Additionally, special-
ized membranes are being developed to serve
as stand-alone treatment technologies or to work
in concert with other treatment technologies. The
next section presents the most promising industrial
applications of advanced membrane separation
technologies.
 Industrial Applications
There are numerous industrial applications of membrane separation technology, as illustrated in Table 1. Common industrial processes benefiting from
membranes include recovery of waste products, concentration, purification, and filtration. Two of the most widespread end-uses include process water
purification and wastewater treatment. A variety of industries currently employ membrane systems. In particular, they are used extensively in the food, dairy,
beverage, chemicals, and petroleum industries.

Table 1: Examples of Typical Industrial Membrane Applications.

Industry Recovery Concentration Purification/Filtration

Food Processing Recovery of lactose and whey Preconcentration of dilute sugar Purification of process water
protein from salty wastewater Concentration of fruit juices, juice flavor, Removal of pulp
Recovery of caustic cleaning syrup concentration, starch water, steep
solution water, etc.
Recovery of acid cleaning solution Concentration of starch washwater
Recovery of sugar from rinse water Fractionation of steep water
Enrichment of dextrose
Dairy Recovery of Clean-In-Place Concentration of cheese whey, milk, Wine and beer filtration
solutions lactose, egg, etc. Fat removal
Casein fractionation Desalting of salt whey
Bacteria removal
Removal of color from wine
Removal of alcohol from wine and beer
Beverage Recovery of caustic solutions used Purification of process water
for cleaning PET bottles
Pulp & Paper Recovery of paper coating Concentrating solid waste products
Textile Recovery of textile size Desalting of dyes

Chemicals & Gaseous separation

Petroleum Preconcentration of evaporator feedstock
Pharmaceutical Recovery of Clean-In-Place Production of desalted, concentrated
solutions antibiotics
Automotive Recovery of electrocoat paint
Electronics Purification of process water
Most Industries Recovery of waste products from Treatment of captured process water for reuse
wastewater (e.g., reuse as boiler makeup feed water)
Treatment of wastewater

Sources: Membrane Technologies and Applications in Food Processing, Technology Fact Sheet, Global Energy Partners, Walnut Creek, CA: 2008; Koch Membrane Systems, website, www.kochmebrane.com.
 Benefits for a Typical and Figure 2 and are described in more detail
below. This type of process water reuse
under the current generation mix the overall
CO2 impacts range from a potential increase
Industrial Plant application is applicable across the food and in emissions of 2,560 metric tons per year in
beverage industries as well as in most industrial the Midwest to a potential reduction of only 10
Membrane separation technologies are
sub-sectors. metric tons per year in the Northeast.
associated with a wide range of benefits for
Energy savings: Displacing municipal water Nevertheless, the carbon intensity of the
industrial users. Though the benefits vary
for boiler make-up water with RO-treated generation mix is expected to decrease in the
somewhat depending on the industrial applica-
process water decreases the load on the boiler. future. Therefore, assuming a 20% reduction in
tion, the primary benefits include on-site energy
For the given application, the annual energy carbon-intensity, the CO2 impacts change to
savings, lower chemical costs, process quality
requirement of the boiler is reduced by range from a potential increase in emissions of
gains, and wastewater effluent improvements. In
21,200 MMBtu. The RO system requires 1,820 metric tons per year in the Midwest to a
addition, the most efficient membrane applica-
9,210-18,400 MMBtu annually for operation, potential reduction of 230 metric tons per year
tions potentially lead to a net reduction in overall
depending on the efficiency of the membrane in the Northeast.
CO2 emissions in regions of the country where
system. Consequently, the potential for on-site Reduction in water use: Because the given RO
the electricity generation mix is relatively clean.
energy savings for the given application ranges system allows the food processor to capture
The benefits summarized here consider the
from 2,760 to 12,000 MMBtu per year. process water throughout the plant and reuse
specific case of an RO system used to treat
Potential for reduction in CO2 emissions: the RO permeate as boiler make-up feed
captured process water in a plant that manufac-
Membranes offer a potential for net reductions water, the plant consumes less municipal water.
tures margarine and other vegetable-oil
in overall CO2 emissions under specific Additionally, in this case study, the concen-
products.4 The treated process water (the
conditions. However, typically only the most trate residue from the RO process is used in
permeate resulting from the RO process) is
efficient systems applied in regions where the the plants cooling tower and evaporative
subsequently reused as make-up feed water for a
CO2-intensity of the electricity generation mix is condenser for ammonia. Overall, this
natural gas boiler. This membrane application
low are capable of yielding CO2 reductions. margarine processing plant uses 13 million
significantly reduces the requirement of municipal
This is a consequence of the significant gallons less municipal water per year, saving
water for boiler feed water and also substantially
electricity requirement associated with the the plant approximately $68,000 annually in
reduces the load on the boiler. The main
operation of membrane systems, particularly for water costs.6
plant-level benefits are summarized in Table 2
RO membranes. Indeed, Table 2 shows that Higher feed water quality: Membrane
Table 2: Plant-Level Energy and CO2 Benefits by Region filtration technologies are capable of a
consistent removal efficiency based on
Industry Food processing (NAICS 311)
substance size. Therefore, the removal of a
End-Use Reuse of process water for boiler make-up water in margarine and
vegetable oil plant specific substance, whether chemical or
Electric Technology Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane biological, is predictable. Given the predict-
ability of RO performance, treated water
Electricity Requirement 5
900-1,800 kWh/MG; 3000 MG of treated water per year;
2,700-5,400 MWh per year (9,210-18,400 MMBtu per year) quality can be adjusted to a more precise level

Displaced Technology Natural gas boiler; 50,000 lbs./hr @175 psi pressure as compared to conventional water treatment
technologies such as water softeners and
Natural Gas Savings 21,200 MMBtu per year (8% of previous boiler energy use)
chloride anion dealkalizers. This predictability
Net On-Site Energy 2,760-12,000 MMBtu per year (13-57% savings)
Savings allows for greater control, which in turn
improves boiler feed water quality.
Overall CO2 Reduction (metric tons per year)
Reduction in chemicals use: Because boiler
20% Reduction in CO2 Intensity
Region Current Generation Mix of Generation Mix feed water quality is improved, the costs for
Northeast (1,100) - 10 (660) - 230 boiler chemicals and commodity softening
chemicals as well as the related handling and
Midwest (2,560) - (720) (1,820) - (350)
storage costs are reduced. In the given
South (1,990) - (430) (1,370) - (120)
application, water softener and dealkalizer
West (1,360) - (120) (870) - 130 expenses are reduced by $22,000 annu-
Note: (Red) values indicate the potential for an increase in CO2 emissions. ally.7,8 In addition, annual boiler chemicals

4. GEs RO System Helps Unilever Reduce Water, Natural Gas Consumption and Chemical Usage, GE Case Study, April 2008, http://www.gewater.com/pdf/Case%20Studies_Cust/Americas/
English/CS1251EN.pdf.
5. The lower electricity requirement applies to more efficient applications that include lower pressures, advanced membrane materials that can operate with lower pressures, and variable frequency
drives, if applicable.
6. GEs RO System Helps Unilever Reduce Water, Natural Gas Consumption and Chemical Usage, GE Case Study, April 2008, http://www.gewater.com/pdf/Case%20Studies_Cust/Americas/
English/CS1251EN.pdf.
7. Ibid.
8. Case Study: Unilever Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 2008, http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/industrial/cipec/unilevercanada_e.pdf.
 costs are reduced by $11,700.9
Less labor and storage requirements: The use
of RO for feed water treatment can result in
lower labor and storage costs associated with
the handling of chemicals. In the given
application, for example, there is no longer a
need for personnel to handle 4,000 bags of
salt, each weighing 44 lbs.10
Lower effluent treatment costs: Because some
of the plants process water is recaptured for
reuse and fewer chemicals are used to treat the
boiler feed water, there are overall fewer
residuals in the plant effluents and the volume
of effluents is also reduced. In the given
application, the amount of chemicals released
into the sanitary sewer system is reduced by
240,000 pounds.11 This in turn lowers effluent
treatment costs and the energy associated with
disposing of the residuals, which often must be
dewatered and transported to a final disposal
point.
National Potential to Save Energy and Reduce
CO2 Emissions
To estimate the potential for energy savings and CO2 reductions resulting from the expanded use
of membrane separation in the food processing industry (NAICS 311), all possible applications of
membranes for reducing energy use associated with natural gas boilers were considered. The
plant-level benefits of the specific application presented above were extended to this more general
national-level case. The application considered for the plant-level analysis is a conservative
application in terms of energy use reduction. Other applications of membrane separation to
displace boiler energy use in the food processing industry, like liquid pasteurization, concentrated
beverages and other applications in the beverage industry, may result in higher energy savings.
Therefore, the national-level impact estimates are also conservative.
Table 3 summarizes the characteristics of the national-level analysis. Two of the key parameters
that affect the results are the energy efficiency ratio and the market share. The energy efficiency
ratio is a dimensionless number that represents the quantity of on-site energy required for the
electric technology for every unit of energy required to accomplish the same desired output with
the displaced fossil-fueled technology. That is, a ratio of 0.435 means that 0.435 units of energy
are required by the electric technology for every one unit of energy required by the fossil-fueled
technology. The market share is an estimate of the degree the electric technology could technically
penetrate the market for the given end-use.13

Smaller space required: Membrane systems

Table 3: Characteristics of National-Level Analysis
can often fit in smaller areas than conventional
chemical treatment systems. Membrane Industry Food processing (NAICS 311)

processes can also be installed in packaged End-Use Boilers

units that can be scaled to a specific plant Analysis Period 2010-2030
need and easily arranged for future expansion, Electric Technology Membranes
lowering construction costs. Displaced Technology Natural gas boiler (reduced load)
Short payback: The overall cost savings for the Energy Efficiency Ratio 0.435 - 0.870
given application are substantial, resulting in a Market Share 0.03
payback for the RO systems of 16 months.12

The net on-site energy savings presented in Table Tables 4 and 5 present the results of the national-level analysis by census region and for the U.S.
2 and the corresponding CO2 reductions do not as a whole. A range of values is provided for each result to reflect variations in the energy
take into account the reduction in energy use efficiency ratios.
resulting from the need to treat less effluent on site
and transport it for disposal. In addition, since Table 4: National Potential for Primary Energy Savings
the reused water displaces boiler feedwater, no
Annual Primary Energy Savings (quadrillion BTU per year)
additional boiler feedwater treatment is required
Region 2020 2030
and no related energy use occurs. Additional
Northeast (0.0005) - (0.0001) (0.0008) - (0.0002)
savings and CO2 reductions would result if these
impacts are included in the analysis. Midwest (0.0033) - (0.0008) (0.0049) - (0.0011)

The next section presents the benefits of South (0.0011) - (0.0002) (0.0017) - (0.0003)
membrane technologies for the U.S. food West (0.0015) - (0.0003) (0.0026) - (0.0005)
processing industry as a whole.
U.S. (0.0064) - (0.0012) (0.0100) - (0.0020)

Note: (Red) values indicate the potential for an increase in primary energy use.

9. GEs RO System Helps Unilever Reduce Water, Natural Gas Consumption and Chemical Usage, GE Case Study, April 2008, http://www.gewater.com/pdf/Case%20Studies_Cust/Americas/
English/CS1251EN.pdf.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Using this approach, the market share would be smaller for an economic or realistic potential.
Table 4 shows the potential for primary energy
savings (increases). The primary energy savings
account for losses related to generation,
transmission, and distribution of electricity; thus,
unlike on-site energy savings, primary energy
savings represent an overall energy use picture
and are useful as a metric for quantifying the
mix. Since significant efforts are underway to
reduce the CO2 intensity of the generation mix, it
is useful to evaluate the potential impacts with a
greener generation mix in the future. Assuming a
20% reduction in the CO2 intensity of the
generation mix in each region, the potential for
reductions in CO2 emission rises to a maximum
the need to treat and distribute less municipal
water and to treat the municipal water to boiler
feedwater quality on site. Additional energy
savings and CO2 reductions would result if these
impacts are included in the analysis.
Membrane separation has a potential to reduce

regional/national energy impact of replacing of 0.0057 million metric tons per year in the CO2 emissions and reduce overall primary

fossil-fueled technologies with electric technolo- Northeast and 0.0097 million metric tons per energy use in the food processing industry

gies. The results indicate that the national year in the West; however, even under this especially if very efficient membrane systems are

potential for primary energy savings in this improved scenario, the application is still used in regions with low-carbon intensity

application is negative, meaning that primary projected to yield net increases in emissions in electricity generation. Membrane systems can be

energy use increases. In 2030, the potential the Midwest and the South. highly cost-effective for reasons other than energy

increase in primary energy use in the U.S. ranges savings and CO2 reductions, as shown in the

from 0.0020 to 0.0100 quadrillion Btu per year The national-level primary energy savings previous plant-level case study which yielded

in 2030. The potential increase is greatest in the presented in Table 4 and the corresponding CO2 tremendous cost savings due to reduced

Midwest, followed by the West, South, and then
the Northeast.
Table 5 shows the potential for overall reductions
(increases) in CO2 emissions. The results indicate
that emissions potentially increase at the national
level, while some regional decreases are
possible for high efficiency systems. In particular,
there is a potential for CO2 reductions of
0.0003 million metric tons per year in the
Northeast in 2030 under the current generation
reductions presented in Table 5 do not take into requirements for municipal water and chemical
account the reduction in energy use (both electric treatment. Therefore, membrane separation is
and fossil fuel) resulting from reduced amounts of worthy of demonstration and an application in
effluents produced when the membrane the beverage industry could be very promising.
technology is used to treat process water for
reuse. Less energy is needed to treat the effluent
on-site and transport it for disposal and less
energy is needed to treat the effluent at the
wastewater treatment plant. In addition, the
values presented in the tables do not take into
account the reduction in energy use resulting from

Table 5: National Potential for Reductions in CO2 Emissions

Region Overall CO2 Reduction (million metric tons per year)

Current Generation Mix 20% Reduction in CO2 Intensity of Generation Mix
2020 2030 2020 2030
Northeast (0.016) - 0.0003 (0.024) - 0.0003 (0.010) - 0.0035 (0.014) - 0.0057
Midwest (0.200) - (0.055) (0.330) - (0.093) (0.142) - (0.026) (0.235) - (0.046)
South (0.067) - (0.014) (0.113) - (0.025) (0.046) - (0.004) (0.077) - (0.007)
West (0.053) - (0.004) (0.102) - (0.009) (0.033) - 0.0055 (0.065) - 0.0097
U.S. (0.336) - (0.074) (0.568) - (0.127) (0.231) - (0.0212) (0.392) - (0.037)

Note: (Red) values indicate the potential for an increase in CO2 emissions.

1020680 March 2010

Electric Power Research Institute

3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774650.855.2121askepri@epri.comwww.epri.com
2010 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All rights reserved. Electric Power Research Institute, EPRI, and TOGETHER...SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY are
registered service marks of the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.