Nanofiltration Membrane Technology Applied in the Vitamin Dietary Supplement Market

In 1912, Polish scientist Casimir Funk, after countless experiments, finally extracted a white substance from rice bran that could treat beriberi. This substance was called "the vital nutrient" by Funk.

Nanofiltration membrane technology : Vitamin supplement market

As time went on, more and more types of vitamins were discovered and recognized by people, and vitamins became a large family. In order to make them easier to remember, people have arranged vitamins from A, B, C all the way to L, P, U, and dozens of other types. Modern science has further confirmed the anti-aging, heart disease prevention, and anti-cancer functions of vitamins in the human body.

Vitamins cannot be synthesized in the human body and must be directly supplied from food. Once a certain vitamin is lacking in food, it will inevitably cause corresponding metabolic disorders and show relatively specific clinical symptoms, such as scurvy caused by a lack of vitamin C and beriberi caused by a lack of vitamin B1. Therefore, vitamins are a necessary class of nutrients for the human body.

In traditional vitamin extraction processes, solvent extraction has simple equipment and operation, but the purity of the products obtained is low. If repeated extraction is required, it will increase the consumption of solubility and energy, resulting in higher costs. Therefore, this method is more suitable for the initial separation of vitamins. The operation conditions of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction are moderate, and the product is safer to consume, but its equipment is expensive, thereby increasing the cost input of enterprises.

Application of nanofiltration membrane technology

Compared with traditional technology, one advantage of  nanofiltration membrane technology  is that it can retain small-molecule organic substances that pass through ultrafiltration membranes, and dialyze the part of inorganic salts intercepted by reverse osmosis membranes. That is, it can make "concentration" and desalination proceed synchronously. In addition, the nanofiltration membrane separation process has the advantages of low operating pressure, high water output efficiency, and less concentrated water discharge. In terms of membrane structure, most nanofiltration membranes are composite membranes, which means that the surface separation layer of the membrane and its supporting layer have different chemical compositions. Like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis,  nanofiltration membrane technology  is also a membrane separation process driven by pressure difference and is an irreversible process.

The vitamin supplement market is rapidly forming, and its potential is vast. As the living standards of citizens improve, their own health awareness continues to increase. Vitamin products, as scientifically-based health supplements, are quickly accepted by the general public. Vitamin C powder, vitamin C and E compound powder, vitamin compound tablets and other vitamin supplements are in short supply, and a huge vitamin supplement market is rapidly forming.