Membrana has finalized an agreement with Memstar, a division of Australian wine technology specialists, Wine Network. This agreement allows Memstar worldwide sales and distribution rights for Liqui-Cel Membrane Perstractors. Memstar has developed a patent pending method for removing alcohol from wine without stripping away other essential components. It uses a two-stage process combining reverse osmosis and Membrana's Liqui-Cel Membrane Perstractors. Membrane Perstractors are the key to the process of evaporative perstraction used by Memstar for lowering the alcohol content of a wine.
Perstraction in wine production has become necessary because of a worldwide trend to higher alcohol content in wines. Higher alcohol content gives wine a hot and harsh taste, and the alcohol masks desirable fruit flavors. Liqui-Cel Membrane Perstractors allow Memstar to reduce the alcohol to more acceptable levels, leading to better taste and structure. In fact, blind taste tests have shown that wines have particular alcoholic "sweet spots" where even small alcohol adjustments can influence overall balance and flavor. Liqui-Cel Membrane Perstractor as applied by Memstar in this process provide a very gentle and precise process for alcohol reduction that delivers optimum wine quality.
Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used around the world for adding or removing oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen to or from different liquids in the semiconductor, food and beverage, power, pharmaceutical, photographic and many other industries. For example, it is known that oxygen negatively impacts many processes; it is corrosive and can oxidize materials and negatively impact shelf life. In the process, power and industrial areas, piping and equipment are susceptible to corrosion. Additionally, carbon dioxide negatively impacts performance of EDI and Ion Exchange. The Liqui-Cel Contactors offer a modular solution for oxgen/carbon dioxide removal before these processes without chemicals.
Liqui-Cel Contactors are also used to add gasses to liquids to enhance megasonic cleaning. The beverage industry also looks to membrane contactors for carbonation, nitrogenation and oxygen removal. These reflect only a few examples of the variety of applications where the Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors are used. New applications are constantly being developed.
Source: Membrana