{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T15:47:52Z","timestamp":1793288872149,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,22]],"date-time":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658448000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"EUROPEAN UNION\u2019S HORIZON 2020 RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PROGRAMME","award":["860477\u2013AgRefine\u2013H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["860477\u2013AgRefine\u2013H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Membranes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Membrane processes can be integrated with fermentation for the selective separation of the products from the fermentation broth. Sterilization with saturated steam under pressure is the most widely used method; however, data concerning heat sterilization applicability to polymeric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are scarcely available. In this study, the effect of the sterilization process on the filtration performance of a commercial polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber UF membrane was evaluated. Membrane modules were constructed and sterilized several times in an autoclave. Pure water flux tests were performed, to assess the effect of heat sterilization on the membrane\u2019s pure water permeance. Dextran rejection tests were performed for the characterization of membrane typical pore size and its fouling propensity. Filtration performance was also assessed by conducting filtration tests with real fermentation broth. After repeated sterilization cycles, pure water permeance remained quite constant, varying between approx. 830 and 990 L\u00b7m\u22122\u00b7h\u22121\u00b7bar\u22121, while the molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) was estimated to be in the range of 31.5\u201398.0 kDa. Regarding fouling behavior, the trans-membrane pressure increase rate was stable and quite low (between 0.5 and 7.0 mbar\/min). The results suggest that commercial PVDF UF membranes are a viable alternative to high-cost ceramic UF membranes for fermentation processes that require heat sterilization.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/membranes12080725","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,25]],"date-time":"2022-07-25T01:42:13Z","timestamp":1658713333000},"page":"725","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["The Effect of Heat Sterilization on Key Filtration Performance Parameters of a Commercial Polymeric (PVDF) Hollow-Fiber Ultrafiltration Membrane"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Alexandra","family":"Nastouli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Natural Resources and Renewable Energies, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"},{"name":"Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, AU 1040 Vienna, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Asimina","family":"Tsirigka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Natural Resources and Renewable Energies, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6490-5840","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael","family":"Harasek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, AU 1040 Vienna, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anastasios J.","family":"Karabelas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Natural Resources and Renewable Energies, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7180-9291","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sotiris I.","family":"Patsios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Natural Resources and Renewable Energies, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH), GR 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Armenante, P.M., and Akiti, O. 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