Evaluation of ceramic and polymeric membranes for crossflow microfiltration of coconut water: Filtration performance and composition of the clarified coconut water

This study evaluates the flow and filtration performance of different membrane types for clarifying coconut water. Although crossflow microfiltration is well established for fruit juices, its application to whole coconut water and the influence of membrane material on flow, fouling behavior, and retention of bioactive compounds remains poorly understood. Addressing this gap is critical for optimizing clarification processes while preserving nutritional and functional quality. Here, three membrane types (silicon carbide – SiC, aluminum oxide - Al 2 O 3 , and polypropylene - PP) are tested under identical operating conditions (ΔP TM , temperature, crossflow velocity, and membrane area) and are benchmarked for permeate flux, fouling propensity, and retention of key bioactive compounds. The results indicate that ceramic membranes deliver superior clarification performance, with SiC exhibiting the highest permeate flux (>300 L h -1 m -2 ), surpassing PP and Al 2 O 3 by ≈400% and ≈90%, respectively. The SiC system also shows the lowest specific energy consumption (0.48 ± 0.02 kWh m -3 ) and minimal alteration of coconut water’s natural composition. In closed-loop mode, ceramic modules exhibit concentration polarization as the primary resistive contribution, whereas polypropylene is dominated by fouling and shows the highest irreversible resistance among the membranes. Chemometric analyses (NMR and ICP-OES) reveal that the SiC permeate maintains an organic and mineral composition closest to that of whole coconut water. Considering permeate flux, energy efficiency, and product quality together, SiC membranes represent a technically and economically viable option for potential industrial-scale clarification of coconut water. • Crossflow microfiltration clarifies whole coconut water while preserving bioactives. • The SiC system has the highest flux and lowest energy use (>300 L h -1 m -2 ; ≈0.48 kWh m -3 ). • Flux decline is dominated by cake resistance rather than pore blocking. • Chemometrics (HCA-PCA) links chemical composition to fouling/resistance metrics. • The clarified SiC system shows minimal changes in sugars, organic acids, and minerals.