08/04/15

FOULING & CLEANING

DANIEL PAUL P

Fouling
¨  Fouling = milk residues remain on the surfaces of the
equipment (at .70°C)
¨  Residues dried up are difficult to remove
¨  Excessive fouling = costly = milk is lost
¤  Cleaning: High concentrations of detergents and more
wastewater
¨  Fouling = heating of milk = deposit on metal surfaces
¨  Deposit formation (serum protein and calcium phosphate)
¤  Reduces the rate of heat transfer
¤  Reduces the flow rate of milk in the equipment
¤  Eventually equipment will stop
¤  Growth of microorganisms in milk residues (thin film of milk
deposit )

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Deposit Material – Type A & B

¨  Type A
¤  Formed at moderate temperatures, 80°C.
¤  35% ‘ash’ and 50% protein in the dry matter (whey)

¤  Yellowish, voluminous, and curd-like

¨  Type B
¨  Formed at high temperatures, >100°C
¨  70% ‘ash’ (for the most part, calcium phosphate) and
some protein
¨  Compact, gritty, and grayish, and it is also called
milkstone or scale

Deposition Mechanisms
¨  Temperature gradient near the wall
¨  Competition between surfaces

¨  Air or vapor bubbles

1.  β-lactoglobulin plays a key role in most fouling

2.  –SH bond activated at high temperature forms –S–S–
with other proteins
3.  Calcium Phosphate = High temperature scaling
4.  Casein = less depositing tendency = hairy structure
5.  Fat globules = membrane binds to serum and deposit
6.  Homogenized fat = quickly deposit = new membrane

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 the wall, because any turbulence farther away causes intensive mixing
(see Figure 14.2). Nevertheless, this situation implies a continuous
deposition, the more so (1) as the temperature gradient is greater (larger
∆T between wall and liquid) and (2) as the turbulence in the liquid is 08/04/15  
less intensive, because that makes a thicker laminar boundary layer.
The importance of this mechanism in milk heat exchangers can be
evaluated from the effect of ∆T on fouling. It turns out that for the same
milk temperature, fouling is stronger in the heating section (∆T > 0)
Temperature gradient near the wall
Liquid A. Temp Gradient:
flow 1.  Heated from outside
2.  Inner surface of wall > Liquid
3.  Temp gradient
4.  Material deposit on wall
Temperature
B. Conc Gradient:
Concentration 1.  Wall deposit = low conc near wall
2.  But liquid keeps flowing
3.  Conc gradient
4.  Laminar flow = gradient
Distance 5.  Turbulent flow = mixing intense
6.  Turbulent flow = no gradient

Heat flow Temp Gradient followed by Conc Gradient

Fouling Favored by:
Laminar Turbulent 1.  More Temp gradient (ΔT)
2.  Lesser turbulent flow intensity
Wall Liquid 3.  More thicker laminar flow layer
Deposit
Fouling Order Section-wise: Heating (ΔT > 0) > Holding (ΔT = 0) > Cooling (ΔT < 0)
FIGURE 14.2 Temperature gradient near a heated wall in a flow-through heat exchanger
and its effect on the concentration gradient of a material that becomes insoluble at high
temperature and is thereby deposited onto the wall (schematic).

Competition between surfaces

© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

1.  Insoluble materials bind on surface of other milk particles

2. Casein binds other particles to its surface quickly
3.  Insoluble serum proteins formed upon heating, & calcium
phosphate become supersaturated at high temperatures
4.  Supersaturated protein and calcium phosphate associated with the
casein micelles
5. Casein is close to each other and wall = Deposit
6.  But it gets competition from walls = 10 times more attractive for
whey fractions
7.  Similarly, whey at high temp = aggregates
8.  Aggregates attract particles to deposit
9.  Wall material competes with aggregates for deposition
10. Competition = More deposit without competition

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14.1 Deposit Formation 403

Air or vapor bubbles
80°C 1.  Heated liquid = air bubble
2.  More air bubble are formed (1mm)
3.  Supersaturated = air bubble high Temp
3 4.  Air bubble at surface = Fouling

Air
1 bubble
Casein
2 micelle

90°C

Hot wall 1.  Water vapor pressures at (2) and

(3) become 0.72 and 0.48
2.  Water transports from (3) to (2)
1.  Protein adsorbs onto the bubble (1). 3.  More water to (2) more fouling or
2.  Bubble (insulator) protein deposition
FIGURE 14.3 Air bubble formed at a heated surface and processes occurring near it
3.  Temperature at (2) is > at (3) (90 & 80°C)
(schematic and not to
4.  scale).
Water evaporate near (2) into the bubble,
and to condense near (3)
5.  Water and heat are transferred

sufficient air for it to become supersaturated at the high temperature.

The air in the bubbles is, of course, saturated with water vapor. If a
bubble remains at the surface, it can considerably enhance fouling.
This is illustrated in Figure 14.3 for casein micelles, but it applies
equally well to other substancesaffecting
Factors depositing, say, serum protein.
Fouling in HE Protein
adsorbs onto the bubble (1). The bubble acts as an insulator, whereby
the temperature
Factor at (2) is higher than at (3), say 90°C and 80°C, respec-
Effect
tively. ThisTemperature
causes water to evaporate nearYes. (2)Conc
intogradient
the bubble, andontowall
and deposit
condense near (3), whereby water and heat are
Preheating transferred.
Preheating to such anFigure 10.7,
extent that β-lactoglobulin is
shows that the relative water vapor pressures denatured
wouldwillbegreatly
0.72diminish
and 0.48,fouling
Temperature
respectively, difference
at the two between heating
temperatures, and No effect but should
a substantial be minimum
driving force
medium and liquid
for water transport thus exists. The liquid near (2) now becomes con-
Formation of gas bubbles The formation of gas bubbles at the heated surface
centrated, leading to (greatly) enhanced deposition of protein.
markedly accelerates To over-
deposit formation
come this problem,
Acidity
the milk should be evacuated before or during heat
Lower the pH of the milk, quicker protein deposit
treatment, or the milk should be kept at aforms sufficiently high
(low solubility pressure
of serum proteins at low pH)
during heating. Calcium Phosphate = no deposit at low pH = high
solubility

It appears thatConcentrated milk

β-lactoglobulin Quick deposit formation than plain milk
plays a key role in most fouling of dairy liquids.
Viscosity, pH = wall temperature
As discussed in Subsection 7.2.2, it is transformed into another form at high
Homogenization Homogenization prior to heat treatment enhances
temperature, where the –SH group buried in the interior
deposition becomes
of globular fat reactive,
whereby it can induce formation of –S–S– cross-links with other protein mole-
cules. This reaction, as well as the formation of protein dimers and trimers,
probably occurs in the bulk of the liquid and not at a surface. If, however, this
aggregation reaction has been allowed to proceed almost completely, which means
that termination of the polymerization reaction has occurred in whey or that the
serum proteins have become almost fully associated with the casein micelles in
milk, further deposition would not occur. It is indeed observed that milk or whey
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© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

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Cleaning
¨  Cleaning requires detergents (cleaning agents) to
dissolve or finely disperse the deposit
¨  Fouling material has to be removed

Factors affecting Cleaning

Factor Effect
Nature of the deposit Determines the kind of cleaning agents needed.
Cleaning agents Alkaline solutions (e.g., 1% NaOH, i.e., 0.25 M)
dissolve proteinaceous materials = type-A deposit
and membrane fouling
Acid solutions (generally phosphoric or nitric acid
of about 0.2 M) serve to dissolve type-B deposit
(scale).
If fouling is not excessive and involves little scale
Combined detergent = alkali + Ca2+chelating agent
(Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid, EDTA)
Surfactants (soap-like materials) loosen a fatty
deposit from a surface and keep oil molecules
dispersed inside the soap micelles
Ultrafiltration membranes: Proteolytic enzymes

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Factor Effect
Duration Dissolution of the deposit may take a long time if
the detergent has to diffuse into the layer, as is
often the case
Timescales are several minutes to half an hour
Agitation (mechanical cleaning / Flow: Turbulent, and high Reynolds number = thin
scouring effect) laminar boundary layer = quick process
Turbulence = pressure fluctuation = layer breaks
and easy removal
High velocity = good mechanical scouring effect
Temperature High Temp: liquid viscosity is lower = Reynolds
number and diffusion coefficients are larger
Nature of the surface No corroding the surface
Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion (not strong
acids for a prolonged time)
Borosilicate glass is very resistant
Polymeric materials = corrode easily
Internal geometry of the equipment For higher Reynolds number = no dead ends and
sharp edges in equipment

CLEANING IN PLACE (CIP)

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Cleaning-in-Place Systems
¨  Cleaning-in-place: rinsing water and detergent solutions
are circulated through tanks, pipes and process lines
without dismantling the equipment
¨  Circulation of liquids through machines and other
equipment in a cleaning circuit
¨  High-velocity flow of liquids = mechanical scouring
effect (dislodges dirt deposits)
¨  Pipes, Heat exchangers, Pumps, Valves, Separators

Cleaning-in-Place Systems
¨  Cleaning-in-place (Tanks): Spray the detergent on the
upper surfaces and then allow it to run down the walls
¨  Mechanical Scouring effect is insufficient
¨  Solution: specially designed spray devices
¨  Requirement: Large volumes of detergent, circulated
rapidly

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Factors for CIP Circuit

¨  Equipment for a CIP circuit is decided based on:
¤  Deposits = same type = same detergents and disinfectants
can be used
¤  Surfaces of equipment = same material or materials
compatible (detergent and disinfectant)
¤  All components in the circuit must be available for
cleaning (design: no dead ends)

Compatible Materials in Process Line

¨  Materials: Stainless steel, plastics and elastomers

¨  Do not transmit any odor or taste to the product
¨  Capable of withstanding contact with detergents and
disinfectants at the cleaning temperatures
¨  Copper, Brass not fit = corrode and contaminate
¨  Stainless Steel = not corrode = chlorine attacks
¨  Elastomers (rubber gaskets) = chlorine and oxidizing agents
= crack and contaminate
¨  Plastics = attacked by fat and detergents = use standard ones

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Cleaning Procedure
¨  ‘Cleaning in place’ (CIP) is preferred
¨  STEPS:
¨  Prerinsing: Vigorous prerinsing with water can remove
some 80% to 90% of the residual (i.e., not-deposited)
material in the equipment
¨  Cleaning steps:
¨  Two step: First cleaning with an alkali and then with an
acid solution
¨  One step: One step compound detergent

Cleaning Procedure
¨  Final rinsing: Rinsing with water is meant to remove
cleaning agents.
¨  Disinfection:
¤  Sodium hypochlorate (NaOCl = HOCl = Bactericidal)
¤  Iodophors (products of a reaction between iodine and a
suitable surfactant releasing Iodine e.g. Povidone-iodine)
¤  Quaternary ammonium compounds (NH4+ with Cl as the
counter ion)
¤  Peroxy-acetic acid CH3–C (=O) –O–OH (also called
peracetic acid)
¤  Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)

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Dairy CIP programs

¨  Based on whether the circuit has heated surfaces or not

①  CIP programs for circuits with pasteurizers and heated
surfaces (UHT) (Acid = MUST = protein & salts)
②  CIP programs for circuits with pipe systems, tanks and other
process with no heated surfaces (Acid = NOT MUST)

CIP Programs
CIP for Hot Components CIP for Cold Components
¨  Rinsing with warm water for about ¨  Rinsing with warm water for 3
10 minutes minutes
¨  Circulation of an alkaline detergent ¨  Circulation of a 0.5 – 1.5% alkaline
solution (0.5 – 1.5%) for about 30 detergent at 75°C for about 10
minutes at 75°C
minutes
¨  Rinsing out alkaline detergent with
warm water for about 5 minutes ¨  Rinsing with warm water for about
3 minutes
¨  Circulation of (nitric) acid solution
(0.5 – 1.0 %) for about 20 minutes at ¨  Disinfection with hot water 90 –
70°C 95°C for 5 minutes
¨  Post-rinsing with cold water ¨  Gradual cooling with cold tap
¨  Gradual cooling with cold water for water for about 10 minutes
about 8 minutes (normally no cooling for tanks)
¨  Disinfection: circulating hot water at
90 – 95°C for 10 – 15 minutes

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CIP Installation Systems

Centralized CIP Decentralized CIP
¨  Small dairy plants with short lines ¨  Large dairy plants with long lines
¨  Large central CIP station with many ¨  Many small CIP units = satellite
CIP circuits CIP system
¨  Detergent solutions and hot water ¨  Detergent solutions and hot water
are reused / recycled are used just once
¨  Large quantity of cleaning solutions ¨  Min. quantity of cleaning solutions
¨  Many large tanks are needed ¨  Fewer tanks with optimal capacity
¨  Highly automated and computerized ¨  Basic automation for operations
only
¨  Electrodes are used for monitoring ¨  One–time use of cleaning agents,
so no sophisticated monitoring
needed
¨  Large sewage loads
¨  Minimal sewage loads

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