COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF DISAGGREGATION OF PECTIN DURING PLATE MODULE ULTRAFILTRATION

Concentration of commercial lime and citrus was carried out by plate m odule ultrafiltration with a 300K cut-off membrane with small changes in intrinsic viscosity and 48 and 55% recoveries. Subsequent ultrafilt ration of permeates with a 100K cut-off membrane yielded pectins from retentates with lower viscosities and recoveries of 34 and 39%. Compon ent analysis was applied to concentration and viscosity response curve s from high performance size exclusion chromatography. Results suggest ed viscosity loss was due to passage through the membrane of small pec tin molecules and/or aggregates released from breakdown of larger pect in aggregates during 300K ultrafiltration. Concentration of pectin wit h minimum loss of viscosity requires ultrafiltration which insures ret ention of small pectin aggregates. Improved component analysis was dev eloped for characterizing solution behavior of pectin during processin g.