Fouling of Heat Exchangers

Abstract

The fouling of heat exchangers during the processing of milk at high temperatures is an important practical problem, with implications for operating costs and product quality. Its importance has long been recognized, but only in the last few years has it been accepted as a part of a larger problem, that of the fouling of process plant by foodstuffs in general, and studied more widely and in greater detail. This more general problem has been discussed at international conferences (Hallström et al., 1981; Lund et al., 1985), where attempts have been made to address the complex mechanisms of fouling by foodstuffs and relate them to fouling in chemical engineering plant. In this chapter, only the practical aspects of fouling by milk and milk-based products will be considered, with possible ways of minimizing them.