Dairy acidulation, ice cream production

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Dairy acidulation, ice cream production

The ice cream production plant runs multiple products in a single day. Between each product run a CIP system is used to wash equipment of any number of organic ingredients from chocolate and caramel to fruit paste, nuts and more. The resulting wastewater contains high loads of TSS, FOG, and a wildly fluctuating pH.

The delivered wastewater treatment solution utilizes an acidulation process. By dosing sulfuric acid to lower the pH below 4, oil emulsions are broken, allowing polymers to effectively agglomerate suspended solids instead of relying on traditional coagulation and flocculation chemistry.

After removing solids caustic soda is used to neutralize the pH before discharge. This approach simplifies the chemical process and achieves discharge requirements

Equipment supplied

  • PCL-180 DAF

  • Flocculator (3)

  • Rotary drum screen

  • Sludge dewatering belt filter press

DAF sizing calculations


Design parameters Discharge requirements
Flow5.451 m³/d
TSS 1.500 mg/l250 mg/l
FOG 250 mg/l100 mg/l
pH 4 - 106.5 - 8.5