Comparison of Polymer and Ceramic Membrane in the Separation of Proteins in Aqueous Solution Through Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

In recent years, the filtration and separation of whey components have drawn the attention of researchers both because of environmental concerns due to its high pollution levels and because of accessing the valuable properties of its proteins. Among the various common methods of separating these proteins, the membrane technology is significantly more appropriate owing to the high quality of the resulting proteins, its relatively simple scale-up, its shorter production time and its lower production costs compared to adsorption methods. The membranes used in separating whey proteins are classified into two general groups: polymeric and ceramic. An investigation of the papers presented in this field showed that polymeric membranes usually allow a high flux, and ceramic membranes, despite their low flux permission, have high mechanical strength and chemical resistance. Also, the latter type has shown high selectivity for desired proteins compared to undesired ones.