Abstract
In the present work, whey protein fouling phenomenon was studied, when fowed in the inner tube of a double tube heated by hot water which fows in the ring space between them. The fouling kinetics depends on the mass transfer effects, which is a function of protein solubility. To describe the fouling kinetics a calculus algorithm was developed, having as subsidy the protein solubility itself. The proteins solubility were determined in a separate investigation. Results showed that the time necessary for the tube´s inner radius to decrease in 30% of the original radius was smaller for high temperatures. Besides, whey protein deposition was greater at the tube´s entrance than in its exit. Therefore, the rate of radius reduction was faster in that area. The experimental check for the algorithm was conducted in a pilot plant.