How Tubular Membrane Technology Purifies Hydrolyzed Bovine Collagen Peptides

Hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides are widely applied in functional food, dietary supplements and cosmetic raw materials. The enzymatic hydrolysate after bone and hide digestion contains fine solid residues, grease, macromolecular impurities and inorganic salts. Traditional purification and thermal concentration often lead to peptide degradation, bitter taste and high energy consumption. Tubular membrane separation and concentration technology offers a reliable room-temperature purification solution for collagen peptide production.

After enzymatic hydrolysis, crude collagen liquid first goes through pre-filtration to remove large bone scraps and undigested tissue. Then tubular ultrafiltration is adopted for clarification and fractionation. With wide flow channels and high cross-flow velocity, tubular membranes resist fouling effectively. It intercepts macromolecular impurities, residual proteins and suspended solids, while allowing target small collagen peptides to pass through. This step stabilizes peptide molecular weight distribution and improves product purity.

The clarified peptide permeate then enters nanofiltration for desalination and concentration. Operating at ambient temperature, nanofiltration removes excess inorganic salts and reduces water content without phase change. Compared with traditional thermal evaporation, membrane concentration avoids thermal damage to bioactive peptides, retains natural activity, and greatly cuts energy consumption.

The whole membrane process features low loss, pollution resistance and bioactivity retention. It can reduce ash content and off-flavor of collagen peptide liquid, delivering stable feed liquid for the subsequent spray drying process. This membrane system is suitable for pilot test and full-scale industrial production of hydrolyzed bovine collagen, helping manufacturers obtain high-quality collagen peptide powder.