Solute inclusion and freezing rate during progressive freeze concentration of sucrose and maltodextrin solutions

Progressive freeze concentration is an alternative method to concentrate aqueous industrial streams compared to evaporation or membrane separation. In this research sucrose and maltodextrin solutions were concentrated in a stirred progressive freeze concentrator. The solute inclusion in the formed ice was studied using varying stirring speeds, initial concentrations and freezing plate temperatures. Under constant freezing plate temperature, a lower limit was found for the solute inclusions with increasing stirrer speeds. To improve the freeze concentration process, a decreasing temperature ramp was applied to the freezing plate. This yielded 2 to 3 times less solute inclusions in the ice, while maintaining similar ice yields