An energy-efficient juice concentration technology by ethylene hydrate formation

Abstract

Abstract This work first reported ethylene as hydrate formation guest gas for facilitating orange juice concentration process. Ethylene hydrate with orange juice equilibrium conditions under this process were measured by employing the classic isochoric pressure search method. Based on the obtained equilibrium conditions, the effects of feed ethylene pressure and temperature on dehydration ratio were investigated. The gas consumption curves were recorded and distinctly from that CO2 hydrate formation process in the presence orange juice, which could be caused by the multiple nucleation of ethylene hydrate crystal. The dehydration ratio increased with the increase of the feed ethylene pressure. Maximum dehydration ratio of 92.8% was found at 4.43 MPa. Dehydration ratio ranged from 52.5% to 61.8% in the temperature range of 0.5–10.0 °C. The results demonstrated that ethylene hydrate formation can be an efficient technology on water removal for orange juice concentration.