The main objectives in sugar industry is to remove the colorants and other non-sucrose compounds in order to obtain thin sugar juice with high purity and quality.In this study influence of additives and operating conditions on characteristics of thin sugar beet juice and permeate flux was investigated using ultrafiltration membrane prepared from polyethersulphone. The effect of additives (ammonium sulphate and polyethylenglycol), pressure (2, 3 and 4 bar) and temperature (30, 40 and 50 c) on color, turbidity, CaO content, soluble solid matters , purity percentage and permeate flux were evaluated. All experiments were performed in a commercially available stirred ultrafiltration cell. Absorbance spectra of thin sugar beet juice and permeate in 420 and 720 nm showed a greater degree of decolorization by polymeric composite membrane, especially when added ammonium sulphate. The membrane did not exhibit any appreciable selectivity towards CaO content. Additives reduced purity percentage as well as permeate flux. However, increasing pressure and temperature resulted in higher permeate flux.

Keywords