In this research, the performance of a two kind of membrane was examined to recovering the nutrients (protein and lactose) from the whey produced by the soft cheese industry in the General Company for Food Products inAbo-ghraab.Wheyare treated in two stages, the first including press whey into micron filter made of poly vinylidene difluoride (PVDF) standard plate type 800 kilo dalton, The membrane separates the whey to permeate which represent is the main nutrients and to remove the fat and microorganisms.The second stage is to isolate the protein by using ultra filter made of polyethylsulphone(PES)type plate with a measurement of 10,60 kilo dalton and the recovery of lactose in the form of permeate.
The results showed that the percentage of lipid removal by using the micron filter 94.2% when the pressure across the membrane 1.5 bar, and the efficiency of separation of ultrafilter was 93% and 60% protein isolation of the membranes on 10 and 60 kilo Dalton with respectively pressure across the membrane 2.5 bar and temperature higher than 25Cº and the rate of lactose recovery was 95 and 62% for membranes 10 and 60 kilodalton, respectively on the same conditions. It was observed that raising the pressure difference across the membrane increases the flow rate of permeate flux, which in turn increases lactose recovery rate.