Hemicellulose isolation

Development study

• Hemicellulose is an excellent raw material for

high value applications e.g. oxygen barriers in
the food packages.
• 100,000 tons/a of hemicellulose are discharge
with wastewater from thermo-mechanical pulp
mills.
• Isolation of this hemicellulose from the
wastewater reduces the treatment costs and
provides an excellent by-product.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Concept

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Membrane screening I - Feed

• Octanoic acid, a fouling substance

representing a significant number of smaller
hydrophobic substances with relevance to
the pulp industry.
• The saturation concentration of octanoic
acid at 20°C is 0.7 g/l.
• The fouling impact of octanoic acid
concentrations from 0.10 to 0.98 g/l were
analysed at 25°C.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Membrane screening II – DSS LabUnit M20
• Membrane processes:
– MF, UF, NF and RO
• Module configuration:
– Plate&Frame and spiral wound
• Membrane area:
– 0.036 to 0.72 m2 (20 samples)
• Plate material: PS
• Operating pressure: 0 to 64 bar
• Max. temperature: 80 ºC
• Typical capacity: 2 to 30 l/h

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Membrane screening III - Membranes

Membrane Material Rejection Temperature pH

Composite fluoro
ETNA10PP 10 kDalton 0 – 60 1 – 11
polymer
Permanently
UFX5pHT hydrophilic 5 kDalton 0 – 75 (90) 1 – 13
polysulfone

U005F Cellulose 5 kDalton 0 – 55 2 – 10

Permanently
P005F hydrophilic 5 kDalton 0 – 95 1 – 14
polyethersulfone

All membranes were cleaned with 0.5% Ultrasil 10 at 60°C for 45 min.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Membrane screening V – Results

The experiment was performed at 2 bar and 25°C.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Membrane screening VI – Results

Membrane Flux Flux pH and temperature

recovery stability
ETNA10PP + ++ +

UFX5pHT + ++ ++

U005F ++ ++ -

P005F - - ++

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Spiral wound testing I - Feed

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Spiral wound testing II - Module
• Membrane processes:
- UF
• Module configuration:
- 2.5“ x 17“ spiral wound (SW) module
• Membrane areas:
- 0.9 m2 (2.5“ SW with 30 mil spacer)
- 0.6 m2 (2.5“ SW with 48 mil spacer)
• Operating pressure: 0.5 to 7 bar
• Max. temperature: 60/75 ºC
• Cleaning:
- 0.5% Ultrasil 10 at 60 ºC (ETNA10)
and 75 ºC (UFX5) for 45 min.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Spiral wound testing III - Results
180
160
ETNA10 0,5 bar
1 bar
140
1.5 bar
120
Flux (l/m 2.h)

2.5 bar
100
80
60
40
20
0
1,00 10,00 100,00

Concentration of hemicelluloses (g/l)

Flux through ETNA10 with 48 mill spacer at 60°C.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Spiral wound testing IV - Results
200
180 UFX5 2 bar

160 4 bar
140 6 bar
Flux (l/m 2.h)

120
7 bar
100
80
60
40
20
0
0,5 5,0 50,0

Concentration of hemicelluloses (g/l)

Flux through UFX5 with 30 mil spacer at 75°C.

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Spiral wound testing V - Results

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Design aspects
Pre-treatment:
• The water containing the hemilcellulose
should be sufficiently pre-treated to pass
through a 50 micron pre-filter without deposits.
Fluxes:
• 90–170 l/(m2h) at 75 °C
Concentration ratios:
• VCF: >100
Power consumption:
• 0.16 kWh/m3

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Plant design

Production Cleaning

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Plant design

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 Hemicellulose isolation
Operating data

• Power consumption: 15.9 kW

• Membrane life cycle: 2-3 years
• Cooling water: 0.3 m3/h
• Cleaning intervals: 1 per day (sequential)

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