Nylon-6 nanofibrous membranes (NFM) produced by electrospinning were applied as filter medium to
clarify apple juices. The Nylon-6 nanofibrous membranes exhibited good mechanical properties, lower density and higher porosity
compared to commercial polyamide membranes. The filtration mechanism (initial filter, polarization
and cake resistances) and the physicochemical characteristics of the filtrate (color, turbidity, acidity, antioxidant
capacity, phenols, organic acids and sugars) were studied at pressures of 207, 276 and 345 kPa
and with NFM of thickness ranging from 16 to 124 lm. NFM showed superior performance than commercial
membranes regarding removal of turbidity, color and bitter phenolic compounds, yet maintaining the
antioxidant capacity of the juice. Furthermore, NFM were able to selectively adsorb undissociated polyphenols,
like tannins. Adsorption increased at higher pressures. This work demonstrates the potential of
NFM as filters for the production of clarified juices and other industrially relevant beverages.