Membrane-based sample preparation for carbonated beverages: development and comparability study

To satisfy the requirements regarding a precise analytical method for carbonated beverages, a sample preparation method to selectively and efficiently remove dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) from carbonated beverages is presented in this work. The key element of this development is a membrane module with semipermeable hollow fibre membranes. The CO₂ permeates in the membrane module as the sample stream flows through the membrane into a stripping gas stream. A specifically developed phase splitter induces a two-phase flow (gas and liquid) of the beverage sample, which results in an accumulation of the dissolved CO₂ in the gas phase. In addition to the development of the membrane decarbonation unit and the significant parameters, an extensive study comparing the unit with common decarbonation techniques has been carried out. More than 96 % of the CO₂ was removed from the carbonated sample, resulting in a residual CO₂ concentration of