FAQ
For specific applications, which membranes should be used?
FPA10 – membranes with 100,000 Da cut off are suitable ONLY for Apple Juice.
FPA20 – membranes with 200,000 Da cut off are most flexible membranes are good for all light juices like Apple, Pear and Pineapple, Mango, Banana, Melon etc, but also you can run pink juices (capacity will be 30-50% lower than on light juices) like Light Grapes, Strawberry, etc.
FPA20 with special end caps type NP are suitable for Lemon, Lime and Orange.
LPA450 – membranes with 450,000 Da cut off are more suitable for pink juices like dark grapes, pomegranate, cherry, berry and etc., as you will get higher production per 1 m2 than on FPA20.
LMA02 – membranes with 0,2 micron separation point are suitable ONLY for dark juices like black currant, chokeberry, blackberry, carrot, beetroot and so on.
How to wash, maintain and store membranes?
Cleaning procedure:
Step 1: Sodium hydroxide to pH 10.5 max. at 50-55°C recirculated for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Sodium hydroxide to pH 10.5 max. plus sufficient sodium hypochlorite to give 200ppm free chlorine (based on plant total volume), maximum 250ppm. (1.12 ml/l sodium hypochlorite containing 14% free chlorine – maximum 1.4 ml/l.) at 50-55°C recirculated for 30 minutes during which further sodium hypochlorite may be added to maintain the level of free chlorine.
Note: It is ESSENTIAL that the pH of 10.5 is achieved BEFORE addition of sodium hypochlorite in order to prevent attack of the membrane by the hypochlorite. Preservation of all PCI Membrane types during any shutdown periods:
Up to a maximum of 2 hours:
- Leave plant FULL of water
Up to a maximum of 3 days:
(a weekend) - a 0.1% w/w solution (1 g/l) of Sodium Metabisulphite based on total hold-up volume.
Circulate for 15 minutes at 10 to 25 oC
Up to a maximum of 30 days:
(a month) - a 0.25% w/w solution (2.5 g/l) of Sodium Metabisulphite based on total hold-up volume.
Circulate for 15 minutes at 10 to 25 oC
Up to a maximum of 12 months:
(a year) or any shutdown when the plant may be exposed to freezing conditions (winterisation) - a 0.25% v/v solution (2.5 ml/l) of Proxel GXL plus 18% v/v (180 ml/l) of Glycerol (98% reagent grade). When thoroughly mixed, pH corrected to 4.5 to 5.0 pH using dilute Sulphuric or Citric Acid based on total hold-up volume.
Circulate for 60 minutes at 10 to 25 oC PCI membranes can be stored in their original packaging for a period of 5 years from the date of production
It is important that the room where the membranes will be stored is closed from outsiders, away from sunlight, frosts or other harmful atmospheric phenomena.
Is it possible to conduct pilot tests?
PCI technical team personnel could perform the trial: either on client’s site (globally), at PCI facility or at a third-party site, from start to end, in order to ensure a successful trial outcome.
Support can also be provided remotely by PCI’s Engineer to the client; whilst the trial is in progress and after its completion.
All data collected during the trial (before & after completion) are analysed by PCI technical team prior to giving recommendation for the next stage: further trial or a scale up/design of a bigger plant. The pilot unit is designed for pilot scale work and may be used to process a wide variety of aqueous solutions using Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). A wide range of membranes is available to suit the required application.
Is it possible to replace modules / membranes?
PCI membranes has one-to-one product, which gives a customer better performance and of course savings. HFM180 – that will be our FPS20 membranes with exactly the same cut off 20kDa. The advantage of our membranes is that they can work up to 7 bar compare to Koch membranes. PCI Membranes where more effective with dark juice clarification according to higher capacity and higher Colour index. On black currant juice the Colour Index is 30 % better.
