Modeling of impurity concentrations in the cleaning zones of bottle washing machines in the treatment of alkaline cleaning solutions and rinsing water

While demands on the quality of alkaline cleaning solutions and rinsing water are increasing, the current technical possibilities for saving water and other materials in modern bottle washing machines in the food industry have been more or less exhausted. By treating these alkaline solutions and rinsing water by membrane filtration processes, the increasing concentration of imputities carried by bottles and conveyor belts into the individual cleaning stages, can be reduced. The waste load in the alkaline solution and in the rinsing water zones of the bottle washing machines can be calculated by a simulation program while taking membrane separation treatment into account. Thus, saving potential resulting from the treatment of alkaline cleaning solutions and rinsing water from bottle washing machines in the beverage industry as well as the cost of a treatment plant can be assessed by using this model.