Graphite based heat exchangers for fouling control in dairy industry

Fouling of heat exchangers is a major problem in the dairy industry. Deposits indeed produce a thermally insulating layer over the surface of the heat exchanger that decreases the heat transfer toward fluids and increases the pressure drop. Additionally , fouling can seriously affect the quality of food product s by favoring the development of harmful bacteria, and thus increase the costs and environmental impacts because thorough cleaning procedures have to be used. In this context, fouling control solut ions are thus required. The present work thus aimed at testin g graphite -based materials to heat exchangers for the dairy ind ustry. The fouling behavior was analyzed for four commercial graphite plates, submitted to pasteurization conditions in a pilot pasteurizer.