Silicon carbide (SiC) membranes in œnology
Résumé
In a winery, clarification and stabilization steps by crossflow microfiltration are limited by fouling phenomenon which reduces production flows and can alter the aromatic potential of wines, forcing professionals to use several successive filtration steps. The objectives of this industrial-scale study are to (i) introduce SiC membranes at different vinification steps (ii) evaluate the hydraulic and retention performances of SiC membranes and (iii) carry out a comparative study between SiC membranes and polymeric hollow fibers commonly used in the wine industry. It appears that SiC membranes are able to filter diverse matrices with very satisfactory production flow and retention efficiency. This particular process was optimized by developing an efficient regeneration protocol. The clarification and stabilization of the matrices by SiC membranes allowed (i) the production of clear and brilliant wines, (ii) the retention of wine microorganisms, (iii) higher production flows than hollow fibers, while conserving wines interest compounds, (iv) and the filtration of matrices that cannot be processed by hollow fibers.