Alfa Laval has acquired Sandymount with Revos™, a patented reverse osmosis process for beverage concentration. The company aims to use the technology to enable a more efficient and sustainable beer supply chain. Beer remains one of the few water-laden products that is distributed as “mostly water” from producer to consumer. Therefore, they aim to deliver high-quality beer in concentrated form.

Revos™ is a process for concentrating liquids containing small neutrally charged molecules such as ethanol and aromatics. Any alcohol or aroma that escaped through the membranes in a first filtration step (known as a “pass”) is captured and passed through a second “pass” and by this returned to the first pass. This retains all the aromas and the alcohol. Two-pass processes have been used for many years in seawater and industrial applications involving salts. Revos™ patents cover multi-pass or multi-stage designs that involving alcohols and aromas. Revos™ is a low-temperature, ultra-high pressure process that operates at over 120 bar (over 1,700 psi).

The agreement was signed and closed on December 31. The newly acquired company, with its founder and employees, will be integrated into the Food Systems Business Unit in the Food & Water Division at Alfa Laval.

• Alfa Laval, Lund, Schweden
• Sandymount Technologies, Woburn, MA, USA