Journal of Membrane Science, Vol.145, No.1, 67-75, 1998
Retention of volatile organic flavour/fragrance components in the concentration of liquid foods by osmotic distillation
Nine types of hydrophobic microporous membranes were tested for their influence on the retention of a range of volatile organic species when model aqueous solutions of the latter were subjected to osmotic distillation. Similar studies were carried out on Gordo grape juice and Valencia orange juice. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry head-space analyses of the feed materials coupled with scanning electron microscopy and image analyses of the membranes used indicated that lower organic volatiles Aux to water flux ratios occurred when pore sizes at the membrane surface were relatively large. The results have been interpreted in terms of differences in feed-membrane and stripper-membrane boundary layer resistances to organic volatiles transport resulting from different degrees of liquid intrusion into the membrane pores.