Innovative regenerable polyamide particles as new filter aids for wine lees filtration

In oenology, the conventional dead-end filtration with filter aids, used for the processing of wine lees, consumes a high quantity of diatomaceous earth and brings serious environmental, sanitary and economic implications. In a real concern to improve wine quality and to decrease pollution, the “ecological filtration” concept based on the utilisation of a regenerative filter aid is proposed in this study. Polyamide particles were investigated as innovative filter aids for wine lees filtration. Trials were performed with two grades of polyamide particles D80 (D50 = 91.8 µm) and D100 (D50 = 111 µm). Filtration was carried out with wine added with two concentrations of lees (10.8 % and 20.2 %). The impact on wine quality was determined with oenological analyses, showing that the filtration made with polyamide particles did not modify wine organoleptic characteristics, improved turbidity and the filtrate fluxes are higher in comparison to the usual precoat filtration. Then, polyamide particle regeneration experiments proved that these particles could be reused as filter aids several times after cleaning.

Filtration technology for beer and beer yeast treatment

Solid-liquid filtration processes are crucial for the production of beer. Clarification of the green beer generates a clear and bright product with extended colloidal and microbiological shelf live. Conventionally, clear filtration is based on pre-coat filtration using filter aids, such as diatomaceous earth (Kieselguhr). However, the application of Kieselguhr requires strict adherence to occupational safety and health protection, as it is classified as a hazardous substance by the World Health Organisation and can lead to lung diseases. Furthermore, significant amounts of waste filter aids are generated. An alternative to pre-coat filtration is microfiltration that avoids the generation of hazardous wastes. Microfiltration can also be applied in beer yeast treatment. This article highlights major concepts and restriction of the filtration processes.

Influence of the Precoat Layer on the Filtration Properties and Regeneration Quality of Backwashing Filters

For solid–liquid separation, filter meshes are still used across large areas today, as they offer a cost-effective alternative, for example, compared to membranes. However, particle interaction leads to a continuous blocking of the pores, which lowers the flow rate of the mesh and reduces its lifetime. This can be remedied by filter aids. In precoat filtration, these provide an already fully formed filter cake on the fabric, which acts as a surface and depth filter. This prevents interaction of the particles to be separated with the mesh and thus increases the service life of the mesh. In this work, the influence of a precoat layer with different fibre lengths of cellulose on the filtration behavior is investigated. A satin with a pore size of 11 µm is used as the filter medium. The effects of the precoat layer on the filter media resistance, the filter cake resistance, the turbidity impact, and the regenerability of the fabrics are investigated. This study shows an overview of the suitability of various cellulose fibres based on different aspects as filter aids for particles in ultrafine filtration.

CHARACTERISTICS AND ADSORPTION PERFORMANCE OF FORMULATED TRIKOTAC FILTER AIDS

TrikotAC filter aids is a combination of a pre-coating material PreKot™ with two adsorbents; activated carbon and lime and their characteristics were investigated in this study. TrikotAC was formulated into three different weight ratios of 5:1:94, 10:1:89 and 10:5:85, respectively. The relationship between adsorption properties and characteristics of the formulated materials particle size distribution, particle density, bulk density, and BET surface area were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption capacity for TrikotAC 10:5:85 (11.88 mg/g) was higher than for the other formulated filter aids samples, and the formulated filter aids material TrikotAC showed promising characteristic as a filter aids and adsorbent for organic compound in fabric filtration system.

Potentials of Egg Shell and Snail Shell Powder in Sorghum Beer Clarification

Aim: Turbidity is one of the integral parameters used to ascertain beer quality and clarity. This has been achieved through a combination of filtration processes and utilization of kieselghur as filter aid. Kieselghur on the other hand is expensive and not readily available; therefore there is need to find potential filter aids from locally available materials. The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness of egg shell powder and snail shell powder in sorghum beer clarification. Study Design: This study was made to fit into using a combination of T-test and one way Analysis of Variance. Place and Duration of Study: The research was carried out at Department of Food Science and Technology Laboratory, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, between May 2018 and November 2018. Methodology: Sorghum grains were malted by adoption of barley malting protocols while snail shells and egg shells obtained from the market were processed into powders. Temperature programmed infusion mashing method was used to produce wort from sorghum malt that was germinated for 2 days and 3 days. The resulting worts were fermented using Saccharomyces carlsbergensis to obtain sorghum beer and the beer was clarified with kieselghur, egg shell powder and snail shell powder. Turbidity and other quality analyses were carried out on the sorghum wort, sorghum beer and clarified sorghum beer. Results: The results showed that beers clarified with Kieselghur had better clarity than egg shell powder and snail shell powder clarified sorghum beers. Egg shell powder showed better clarification potentials than snail shell powder. There is a correlation between total solids and turbidity. Germination period significantly influenced the turbidity of sorghum beer. Conclusion: This study showed that egg shell powder can serve as potential filter aid in beverage clarification.