Effect of Ultrafiltration Operating Conditions for Separation of Ferulic Acid from Arabinoxylans in Corn Fibre Alkaline Extract

Corn fibre, a co-product of the starch industry, is rich in compounds with high added value, such as ferulic acid and arabinoxylans, which are released during alkaline extraction. This work aims to optimise an efficient separation method for recovery these two from corn fibre extract, allowing valorisation this co-product. Ultrafiltration was selected method, due its potential fractionate compounds. In order minimise loss membrane permeance, mass transfer limitations caused by arabinoxylan viscosity, impact relevant ultrafiltration operating parameters (membrane molecular weight cut-off, fluid dynamics conditions, transmembrane pressure, temperature) were evaluated. A Nadir UP 150 found be adequate choice, null rejection acid, estimated arabinoxylans 98.0% ± 1.7%, highest permeance all tested membranes. response surface methodology (RSM) used infer effect conditions (crossflow velocity, pressure on retention (assessed through apparent viscosity retentate stream), permeance. Through mathematical modelling it possible determine that best temperature initial crossflow velocity (66 °C 1.06 m.s−1, respectively), lowest (0.7 bar).