(366f) Membranes for Nutrient Concentration, Industrial Separations and Applications Beyond

With the increasing importance of the water–energy–food nexus, it is critical that membranes can be designed for optimal performance and energy efficiency for large varieties of water and food applications. The cost and energy consumption of milk and whey concentration systems can be minimized when one selects a reverse osmosis element that reduces fluid flow requirements while maintaining optimum dewatering efficiency. In addition, superior performance of RO membranes which address the emerging importance of high rejection will be discussed for nutrient concentration, with a properly designed membrane based on the understanding of membrane structure-property relationships. Potentially there are many more applications where RO technology can be used to meet critical customer requirements with high efficiency and favorable economics.