Fouling behaviour of milk and whey protein isolate solution on doped diamond-like carbon modified surfaces

Innovative fouling-resistant materials for industrial heat exchangers: a review

Fouling of heat exchangers (HEs) has become a major concern across the industrial sector. Fouling is an omnipresent phenomenon but is particularly prevalent in the dairy, oil, and energy industries. Reduced energy performance that results from fouling represents significant operating loss in terms of both maintenance and impact on product quality and safety. In most industries, cleaning or replacing HEs are currently the only viable solutions for controlling fouling. This review examines the latest advances in the development of innovative materials and coatings for HEs that could mitigate the need for costly and frequent cleaning and potentially extend their operational life. To better understand the correlation between surface properties and fouling occurrence, we begin by providing an overview of the main mechanisms underlying fouling. We then present selected key strategies, which can differ considerably, for developing antifouling surfaces and conclude by discussing the current trends in the search for ideal materials for a range of applications. In our presentation of all these aspects, emphasis is given wherever possible to the potential transfer of these innovative surfaces from the laboratory to the three industries most concerned by HE fouling problems: food, petrochemicals, and energy production.

A critical review on surface modifications mitigating dairy fouling

Thermal treatments performed in food processing industries generate fouling. This fouling deposit impairs heat transfer mechanism by creating a thermal resistance, thus leading to regular shutdown of the processes. Therefore, periodic and harsh cleaning-in-place (CIP) procedures are implemented. This CIP involves the use of chemicals and high amounts of water, thus increasing environmental burden. It has been estimated that 80% of production costs are owed to dairy fouling deposit. Since the 1970s, different types of surface modifications have been performed either to prevent fouling deposition (anti-fouling) or to facilitate removal (fouling-release). This review points out the impacts of surface modification on type A dairy fouling and on cleaning behaviors under batch and continuous flow conditions. Both types of anti-fouling and fouling-release coatings are reported as well as the different techniques used to modify stainless steel surface. Finally, methods for testing and characterising the effectiveness of coatings in mitigating dairy fouling are discussed.

The effect of pre-adsorption of OVA or WPC on subsequent OVA or WPC fouling on heated stainless steel surface

Fouling on the heat exchanger surface during food processing has been researched extensively due to its great importance in energy efficiency, product quality and food safety. The nature of heat exchanger surface has an effect on the initial deposition behavior and deposit removal behavior to some degree. Protein adsorption on surface is considered to be the initial stage in fouling. In the current study, protein 'pre-adsorption' at room temperature on stainless steel has been investigated as a means to influence the behavior of protein fouling at pasteurization temperatures. Pre-adsorption was carried out with whey protein concentrate (WPC) and ovalbumin (OVA), respectively, which reduced the fouling of OVA (∼20-30% energy saving in the processing time examined). However, the pre-adsorption had little effect on fouling of whey protein concentrate. Contact angles were measured to show the surface change due to protein pre-adsorption. Protein pre-adsorption made the surfaces more hydrophilic.

A survey of state-of-the-art surface chemistries to minimize fouling from human and animal biofluids

Fouling of artificial surfaces by biofluids is a plague Biotechnology deeply suffers from. Herein, we inventory the state-of-the-art surface chemistries developed to minimize this effect from both human and animal biosamples.