To have a clear wine ready for bottling, wine producers traditionally use different solid-liquid separation techniques such as Kieselghur filter, use of additives, clarifiers, centrifugation, filtration on cartons. Filtration with kieselghur is still a widely used technique. It has to be kept in mind that this technique is now classified as dangerous: diatomaceous earth is a substance that contains crystalline silica. According to the IARC (International Agency on Research of Cancer, WHO) since June 1997, quartz, tridymite and cristobalite (contained in different percentages within the flour) belong to group 1 of carcinogenic substances for humans. Massive exposure to this element can cause eye irritation and breathing problems.
Furthermore, diatomaceous earth also has a negative impact on the environment. After use, it cannot be disposed of but must be transported to waste disposal centers. A continuous greater enviromental and health attention forces the wine sector to seek alternative techniques to traditional filtration. Tangential filtration, or crossflow, is this alternative. This technology can replace conventional processes involving several successive filtration steps in a single step. Through the use of membranes, in addition to obtaining perfect clarification, microbiological stabilization is achieved. Read the article on the roles of filtration! Perhaps the most interesting thing about cross-flow filtration, however, is the great simplification in the wine processing line.
In fact, cross-flow filtration offers a series of advantages:
- Single filtration step
- Greater control over fermentation
- No use of adjuvants and therefore no unwanted transfer
- Significant reduction of product losses
- Constant flow rates throughout the filtration cycle
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