Fouling In Heat Exchangers Used In Dairy Industry

Milk fouling in heat exchangers results in a loss of heat transfer in the system due to additional heat resistance, and leads to a reduction in the effectiveness of heat treatment applied to milk. Furthermore, the presence of fouling layers in heat exchangers serves as broth for microorganisms in heat transfer surface, which may threat public health. Fouling during heat treatment has been a problem to be solved for many years, which causes economic losses in dairy industry. Studies to overcome this problem in heat exchangers have focused on understanding the formation and cleaning mechanisms of fouling and determining parameters that affect the formation of fouling. The aim of this review is to give information on the effects of milk composition, surface properties of utilized heat exchanger and applied parameters in heat treatment on the formation of milk fouling during heat treatment, and methods used for the detection and cleaning of milk fouling