Articolo in rivista, 2019, ENG, 10.1016/j.seppur.2018.09.058

Vacuum membrane distillation for the treatment of coffee products

A. Criscuoli, E. Drioli

Institute on Membrane Technology (ITM-CNR), via P. Bucci 17/C, Rende, 87030 CS, , Italy

Vacuum Membrane Distillation (VMD) was applied in two production lines of the coffee industry: the concentration of the coffee extract and the dehydration and recovery of caffeine. Experiments were carried out by using a commercial flat microporous membrane made of polypropylene (0.2 ?m pore size). Both systems worked with a vacuum value of 4 mbar, while the temperature was fixed at 45 °C and at 27 °C for the caffeine recovery and the coffee extract concentration, respectively. Starting from an extract of 13 wt%, it was possible to concentrate it up to the values needed for the instantaneous/soluble coffee production, while dry caffeine was recovered from a 0.1-0.3 wt% aqueous feed. In both case studies, a pure distillate stream, able to be re-used in the plant, was obtained.

Separation and purification technology (Print) 209 , pp. 990–996

Keywords

Coffee industry, Caffeine, Coffe extract, Membrane distillation, Membrane dryer

CNR authors

Drioli Enrico, Criscuoli Alessandra

CNR institutes

ITM – Istituto per la tecnologia delle membrane