Kinetic study of hydrate formation in CO2 + fruit Juice systems with application of Juice concentration

Abstract

The utilization of gas hydrates technology for concentrating liquid foods has garnered significant interest in recent years. In this experimental study, we aimed to investigate the influence of various fruit juices, including cherry, pineapple, pomegranate, mango, grape, tomato, grapefruit, peach, lemon, orange, apple, and apricot juices, on the kinetic parameters of carbon dioxide hydrate formation. These investigations provide valuable insights into the industrialization potential of hydrate-based juice concentration processes. The kinetic experiments were conducted in a 460 cm3 reactor under an initial pressure of 3 MPa and a temperature of 275.65 K. Our findings reveal that the addition of fruit juices prolongs the induction time by up to 377 min compared to pure water, while reducing the CO2 uptake by 25.3%. Moreover, our results demonstrate variations in storage capacity (SC) among different fruit juices, with apple juice exhibiting the highest SC (31.74 v/v) and pineapple displaying the lowest (21.92 v/v). Furthermore, the apparent rate constant (kapp) values obtained during carbon dioxide hydrate growth indicate a slight increase in kapp for apple juice, while other juices exhibit a decrease in kapp, suggesting varying effects on hydrate growth kinetics. Our analysis suggests that concentration via CO2 hydrate may be particularly suitable for apple juice due to its promotional effect, whereas pineapple, apricot, and mango juices exhibit high inhibition influences on kinetic parameters, making them less recommended for concentration via CO2 hydrate formation.