Optimization of Treatment Parameters for Extracting Canola Fiber

Abstract

HighlightsCanola fibers were treated at different levels of time, temperature, and NaHCO3 concentration.Fiber yield, chemical composition, crystallinity index, and thermal stability were measured.A model was developed to predict the optimal treatment parameters.The optimal treatment parameters were 38 h time, 58°C temperature, and 5.6% NaHCO3 concentration.Abstract. Optimal treatment conditions for high quantity and quality fibers for composite applications have not been well documented for canola fibers. In this study, experiments were conducted to treat canola stalks in chemical solutions under the following treatment conditions: 12 to 72 h reaction time, 24°C to 90°C temperature, and 0% to 10% NaHCO3 concentration (% w/w). Fiber yield, chemical composition, crystallinity index, thermal stability, and maximum degradation temperature of the fibers were measured. With the experimental data, a multi-objective optimization model that was a combination of a genetic algorithm (GA) with consecutive sequential quadratic programming (SQP) was developed to predict the optimal treatment parameters. Results showed that reaction time was the most important parameter, followed by reaction temperature and NaHCO3 concentration. These treatment parameters affected the fiber yield and thermal properties in different ways. The treatments also changed the chemical composition of the fibers. The optimal treatment parameters for time, temperature, and NaHCO3 concentration to achieve the highest quantity and quality fibers were 38 h, 58°C, and 5.6%, respectively. The results from this study will enhance understanding of the relationships between canola fiber properties and treatment conditions and help in selecting the best possible treatment for extracting fibers from canola stalks. Keywords: Canola fiber, Fiber yield, Optimization, Property, Treatment.