Oil Extraction Efficiency Research Articles

Efficiency of water purification from oil with aluminum coagulants

In this work, the processes of reagent purification of aqueous emulsions from oil using aluminum coagulants, such as: aluminum sulfate, aluminum hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxochloride, were investigated. In emulsion cleaning processes, coagulants were used separately, as well as in the presence of sorbents: bentonite or activated carbon.
 The results of the conducted studies demonstrate that aluminum sulfate, aluminum hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxochloride in doses of 2–50 mg/dm3 provide a high degree of oil extraction from emulsions. The degree of water purification reaches 97–99 %.
 It was established that the efficiency of oil extraction from water with the help of aluminum coagulants depends significantly on the chemical composition of the coagulant and the original mineralization of the water. Aluminum hydroxide has the greatest efficiency in removing oil from water, which ensures the maximum reduction of oil concentration in both fresh and mineralized water.
 The combined use of aluminum coagulants and sorbents such as bentonite and activated carbon is characterized by fluctuating efficiency, which depends on the type of coagulant and sorbent, their concentrations, and the mineralization of the source water.
 To a large extent, the ambiguity of the presented results can be explained by the heterogeneity of the emulsions. However, it can be unequivocally stated that the use of aluminum coagulants in the processes of removing oil from water of different mineralization is expedient and effective.

Production and physicochemical properties of safflower seed oil extracted using different methods and its conversion to biodiesel

The production and physicochemical characterization of high quality biodiesel from the from safflower seed oil extracted by different extraction methods was studied. The oil extraction efficiencies of various extraction methods were compared. The hydraulic press, continuous pressing (expeller) and soxhlet extraction methods were used to extract oil from safflower seeds. The soxhlet extraction method was found to have the highest oil extraction efficiency up to 32.49%. The majority of fatty acid compositions of the safflower seed oil obtained were oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2) with 30.9% and 56.4%, respectively. In other words, it has been determined that the unsaturated fatty acids of safflower seeds oil constitutes more than 89% of total fatty acids. The synthesis of safflower seeds oil into a high quality biodiesel product was carried out by a one-step transesterification process catalyzed by an alcohol/oil molar ratio of 4.799/1 and KOH catalyst. The synthesis of biodiesel by transesterification process was confirmed by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy and GC-FID chromatograms. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in safflower seeds oil biodiesel were identified by GC-FID analysis. Majority of FAMEs were methyl hexadecanoate (C16:0), methyl octadecanoate (C18:0), methyl 9 octadecanoate (C18:1), methyl octadec-9-enoate (C18:1), methyl 9,12-octadecadienoate (C18:2) and methyl octadecatrienoate (C18:3). The percentage conversion of safflower seed triglycerides to the corresponding methyl esters determined by 1H NMR was calculated as 94.12%. In addition, various fuel properties of the synthesized biodiesel were determined using ASTM and EN standards and compared with relevant studies. The biodiesel product synthesized from safflower seed oil meets both ASTM-D6751 and EN-14214 standards. In conclusion, safflower seed oil is promising in terms of high productivity, quality and potential in the production of biodiesel products that can be used as a substitute for fossil-based diesel fuel.

Model Formulation for Estimating Oil Extraction Rate to Measure Oil Extraction Efficiency in Palm Oil Mill

FFB that has high HQE and FCI will determine the OER that will be obtained at POM, so that OER can be estimated using HQE and FCI, ie by calculating the oil content in FFB and the potential for oil loss in loose fruit that is not collected in the plantation area. The purpose of this study was to formulate an OER estimation model to determine the processing efficiency of POM. This research is a qualitative and quantitative analysis research, which is a scientific study to formulate an OER estimation model based on HQE and FCI parameters which will be used as the dependent variable. Based on the results and discussion it can be concluded that OER, which is a parameter of oil palm processing performance at POM, can be estimated using a model formulation developed from HQE and FCI variables, where these variables are indicators of FFB harvesting performance in oil palm plantations.

Drying of soybean seeds and effect on protein quality and oil extraction efficiency by extruding-expelling process

Soybean seeds (Glycine max) were dried under real scale conditions to different final moisture content (m.c.) (9.1, 9.7, 10.9 %, and control with 16.2 %) and processed through extruding-expelling. Results indicated that soybean seed m.c. affected the composition of the soybean expeller and, thus, the oil extraction efficiency (OEE), which increased as the seed m.c. decreased. A polynomic model was proposed for predicting OEE as a function of soybean m.c., indicating that drying soybean to 10 % resulted in an OEE of approximately 65 %. A thin layer drying experiment of soybean seeds indicated that the protein dispersibility index (PDI) was not affected as regards drying air temperatures up to approximately 69 °C, and a bi-linear model with a non-pre-established break point was fitted. The real scale drying treatment in a rack type dryer (mixed flow) did not show any effect (p > 0.05) on the PDI at 80 °C, while at 115 °C a reduction (p < 0.05) was observed (PDI reduction was 0.8 and 2.1 percentage points, respectively).

Effects of Ultrasound Assisted Extraction on Efficiency and Quality of Rice Bran Oil

Effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions viz., ultrasound power and treatment time on extraction efficiency and quality of oil from rice bran were studied. The sonication power and irradiation time varied between 6.11, 12.23, and 18.35 W/cm2; and 5, 15, and 25 min, respectively. The recovery, physicochemical and phytochemical properties of UAE oil were measured and compared with conventional soxhlet extraction (SE) and pressurized liquid extraction methods (PLE). The results showed that increasing the ultrasonic irradiation time and power led to greater oil extractability. However, the oil quality and ultrasonic intensity were inversely correlated. Specifically, higher power intensity (18.35 W/cm2) and longer irradiation time (15-25 min) impaired the unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and phytochemical compositions of the extracted oil. The maximum oil extractability obtained by PLE and UAE (12.23 W/cm2 and 15 min) were 16.77 mg/g rice bran and 16.59 mg/g rice bran, respectively, and higher than the SE process (14.96 mg/g rice bran). No significant differences were shown among PLE and UAE (12.23 W/cm2 and 15 min) oils for the physiochemical and phytochemical properties. Similar to the PLE and SE oils, oleic acid was the dominant fatty acid in the UAEs oils, followed by linolenic and palmitic acids. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the UAE process effectively damaged the cell walls of rice bran, resulting in improved oil yield. Thus, UAE is a promising method for extracting oil from rice bran.

Investigation on walnut kernel oil extraction using different methods

Extraction of oil from walnut kernel as raw material was explored using the method of pressing. Soxhlet and ultrasonic-assisted extractions of walnut oil, its evaluation index, the extraction process optimization by single factor experiment, the physical and chemical properties of oil, fatty acid composition, element composition, and the main functional group analysis were studied. The results showed that walnut kernel could be extracted effectively with petroleum ether. The optimal extraction conditions of walnut oil by ultrasonic assisted extraction were as follows: solid/liquid ratio of 1:11 (g/mL), ultrasonic power 180 W, extraction time 60 min, and the extraction efficiency of walnut oil was 59.13%. The optimal extraction conditions of walnut oil by Soxhlet were solid to liquid ratio of 1:7, temperature of 76 °C, time of 4 h, and the extraction efficiency of walnut oil was 58.3%. The extraction efficiency of pressing was 43.2%. Walnut oil mainly contains phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and other elements. The fatty acids of walnut oil mainly consist of palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, cis-linoleic acid, cis,cis,cis-9,12,15-octadecanotrienoic acid and other fatty acids. The cis linoleic acid accounted for the highest proportion in GC content, and the content of both was more than 90%.

Improving the Efficiency and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil Extraction from Abies sachalinensis by Underwater Shockwave Pretreatment for the Construction of Low-Energy and Sustainable Essential Oil Extraction System

Essential oils (EOs) from Abies sachalinensis (Sakhalin fir), a conifer species found in Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido in Japan, effectively remove nitrogen dioxide and possess antifungal activity. EOs also exert a relaxing effect and enhance air quality. Underwater shock waves generate instantaneous high pressure that ruptures cell walls, enhancing the performance of steam distillation and oil extraction. In this study, we aimed to increase the yield and quality of A. sachalinensis extracts using shockwaves. Leaves and branches were subjected to shockwave pretreatment or left untreated before EO extraction by steam distillation. EO yield of untreated dried leaves was 2.4 g/kg of dry leaf weight (DW). Upon application of a 3.0 kV, 3.6 kJ shockwave, the yield increased with the number of shockwave cycles. After ten cycles, yield increased 13.6-fold. Pretreatment with shockwaves for 10 cycles resulted in approximately 6- and 13-fold reductions in total energy consumption relative to fresh and dried leaves, respectively. Antioxidant activity increased more than 30-fold in shockwave-pretreated leaves than in untreated dried leaves after 10 cycles. This novel process can significantly reduce the energy used for EO extraction in steam distillation, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable, low-energy EO production system.

Triphase dynamic extraction system involved with ionic liquid and deep eutectic solvent for various bioactive constituents from Tartary buckwheat simultaneously

Friendly and highly efficient acquisition of multiple active components from foods is always of great interest. For synchronous extraction and separation flavonoids together with oil from Tartary buckwheat, a new triphase dynamic system was developed with magnetic nanofluid based on deep eutectic solvent (N888-Cl/lauric acid, 1:2) (liquid phase 1), ionic liquid ([C4mim]Br) aqueous solution (liquid phase 2) and raw material powders (solid phase). It was the first time that two types of green solvents were simultaneously applied and assisted by magnetic separation. Through the investigation on key properties and operational conditions of this system, the extraction efficiency of oil and flavonoids in liquid phase 1 and 2 was achieved as 35.29 and 41.17 mg/g respectively, which were higher than that of conventional ways. Then kinetic and thermodynamics mechanisms were discovered comprehensively. After targeted recovery, the spectral characterization and antioxidant activity of two products proved the effectiveness of the developed method.

Synthesis of the Oil-Based Nanoblocker Poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) and the Study of the Blocking Mechanism.

Well wall instability is one of the problems that seriously affect the efficiency of oil and gas drilling and extraction, and the economic losses caused by accidents due to well wall instability amount to billions of dollars every year. Aiming at the fact that well wall stabilization is the current technical difficulty of drilling shale gas horizontal wells with oil-based drilling fluids, the oil-based nanoplugging agent poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) was synthesized by the Michael addition reaction with compounds such as styrene, methyl methacrylate, and butyl methacrylate as raw materials. The structure and characteristics of the oil-based nanoblocker poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, particle size analysis, and thermal weight loss analysis. The particle size distribution of poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) is 80.56-206.61 nm, with an average particle size of 137.10 nm, and it can resist the high temperature of 372 °C. The effects of poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) on the performance parameters of oil-based drilling fluids were investigated by rheological experiments, electrical stability tests, and HTHP filtration loss experiments. The results show that when poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) is added at 0.5 wt %, it has less influence on the rheological parameters of drilling fluids, the breaking emulsion pressure remains basically unchanged, the stability of the drilling fluid is better, the dynamic-plastic ratio of the drilling fluid is higher than 0.27, the filtration loss is the lowest, and it shows good rock-carrying properties. The results of mud cake experiments and artificial lithology experiments show that poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) has the best sealing effect, with a mud cake permeability of 1.12 × 10-4 mD and a sealing rate of 30.00% when added at 0.5 wt %; the artificial core permeability was 4.0 × 10-4 mD, and the sealing rate was 91.23%. Poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) showed good sealing performance. The oil-based nanoplugging agent poly(MMA-BMA-BA-St) has good dispersion in oil-based drilling fluids and can enter the nanopore joints to form a dense plugging layer under the action of formation pressure to prevent the intrusion of drilling fluids, thus reducing the impact of drilling fluids on the formation, maintaining the stability of the well wall and reducing downhole complications.

Field gas huff-n-puff for enhancing oil recovery in Eagle Ford shales – Effect of reservoir rock and crude properties

• A unique experimental design for investigating oil extraction from shales by huff-n-puff process. • Utilization of field gas as a solvent for enhancing shale oil production. • Oil extraction efficiency could decrease with gas-oil ratio despite increasing rock porosity. • Oil viscosity strongly influences produced oil composition and recovery factor. Field gas huff-n-puff has a great potential for enhancing oil recovery in shale reservoirs that suffer from dramatic production decline. However, most previous studies have focused on CO 2 huff-n-puff, and a simplified injection hydrocarbon gas composition has been commonly used in nearly all experimental works. This work is a continuation of our previous study on the field gas huff-n-puff process for enhancing oil production from Eagle Ford shales with a focus on the impact of reservoir rock (porosity, permeability, and S 1 content) and crude oil properties (viscosity, density, composition). A unique huff-n-puff process was designed to investigate the characteristics of oil production during soaking and pressure depletion. The efficiency of oil extraction as well as the associated production mechanisms were evaluated based on the ultimate recovery factor and properties of produced oil. Huff-n-puff experiments were conducted on reservoir core plugs with distinct reservoir properties (i.e., porosity, permeability, and S 1 contents). It was found that an increase in Gas Research Institute (GRI) porosity from 4.3% to 12.9% could improve the oil recovery factor from 49.0% to 62.8%. However, such a trend was not observed in the huff-n-puff experiments with a higher OOIP where an increase of GRI porosity from 5.6% to 12% led to a decrease in recovery factor by 24.7%. This remarkable finding could be related to the decrease of gas-oil ratio as OOIP increased at a constant injected mass of gas. It was also found that the average URF decreased from 63.0% to 38.3% with an increase in oil viscosity from 3.56 to 9.59 cp, which could be attributed to the reduced diffusive mass transfer and phase partitioning of components from injection gas and resident oil. This work has advanced our understanding of how rock and oil properties affect oil the efficiency of oil extraction by cyclic gas injection in Eagle Ford shales. It also supports the development of reservoir screening criteria for a preliminary assessment of the suitability of an unconventional reservoir for this EOR method. Finally, the results present a unique high quality data set for further modelling work.

A performance comparison of cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) and hexane solvents in oil extraction from sewage sludge for biodiesel production; RSM optimization

A comparative study of oil extraction from secondary dry sludge was performed via Reflux and Folch methods by cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) and hexane as green and organic solvents, respectively. Response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design (RSM-BBD) was utilized to optimize and predict the impact of influential factors, including sludge amount (4–6 g), the volume of solvent (12–16 mL), and extraction time (2–6 h). The maximum oil extraction efficiency was 8.078 % and 4.076 % under the optimal conditions: 5.15 g, 16 mL, 2 h for CPME, and 4.22 g, 11 mL, 2 h for hexane. The raw sludge was characterized by FESEM and XRF analyses, while the extracted oil characteristics were determined by GC-Mass and FTIR methods. As a result, the Folch method by CPME solvent was a more efficient way to extract oil from sewage sludge. Finally, biodiesel was produced via the transesterification double-step process (TDSP) using NaOH/Clinoptilolite-Fe3O4 magnetic catalyst. The production efficiency of biodiesel from the oil extracted by CPME and hexane is 6.94 % and 4.1 %, respectively. The maximum yield of biodiesel production was6.94 % under the optimum reaction conditions: methanol to oil molar ratio of 10:1, catalyst weight of 0.45 wt%, and reaction time of 2.5 h with the help of the electrolysis method.

Solvent extraction of oil from three cultivars of Nigerian mango seed kernel: Process modeling, GA - optimization, nonlinear kinetics and comparative characterization

This work investigated the physicochemical and instrumental characterization of oil optimally extracted from three species of mango kernels (Alphonso, Glenn and Fazli) by highlighting their isolated qualities. The effect of temperature (40-58 °C), dosage (0.0033-0.0267 g/mL) and time (0-360 min) was varied at the course of experiment. It was observed that while temperature increment had a corresponding positive impact on mango kernel oil extraction efficiency, the influence of dosage produced a quadratic effect, reaching maximum efficiency at 0.017 g/mL, beyond which an undesirable decline was recorded. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of process factors gave an F-value of > 80.5 for temperature, indicating that temperature was the most important parameter that influenced the extraction process, while kernel dosage having F-value < 20 was the least influential process parameter. Process optimization by response surface methodology coupled genetic algorithm (RSM-GA) gave an optimum validation yield of 13.62%, 14.7% and 16.1% for Fazli, Glenn and Alphonso, respectively, at temperature of 56.61 °C, dosage of 0.021 g/mL and extraction time of 275 min. Error function indices obtained from comparative kinetic modeling illustrated that the extraction process was best described by pseudo second order model (R2 > 0.96, Adj-R2 > 0.95). Also, Elovich kinetics highlighted the dominance of rate diffusion over washing mechanism in the extraction process. Physicochemical characterization showed that while all the mango kernel oil (MKO) species exhibited stability against oxidative rancidity, Alphonso species having an acid value of 2.74 mg KOH/g and 1.37% free fatty acid value, highlighted its superior physicochemical qualities over Fazli and Glenn mango kernel oil. GC-MS analysis portrayed the dominance of stearic and palmitic saturated fatty acids in all the three species while myristic acid was only detected in Alphonso mango kernel oil (MKO), emphasizing its application in food and cosmetics industries. X-ray florescence (XRF) demonstrated the significant presence of molybdenum (Mo) element in Glenn mango kernel oil, revealing its unique suitability for application in synthesis of special purpose industrial lubricants. For Alphonso mango kernel oil, XRF revealed that while this oil species has potential application in the production of lubricants with high detergent properties, caution must be taken in the utilization due to the presence of sulphur element in the sample.

Simultaneous Extraction of Rapeseed Oil and Enzymatic Transesterification with Butanol in the Mineral Diesel Medium

Increasing environmental pollution is driving an increase in the production and use of biofuels. The cost price of biodiesel could be reduced by using low-quality oilseeds unfit for human consumption and by applying the simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification process, avoiding the oil pressure stage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the enzymatic biofuel production process (in situ) by using rapeseed with high oil acidity for simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification with a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel fuel. The investigation of the in situ process was performed using a mixture of butanol and mineral diesel and the most effective biocatalyst Lipozyme TL IM was selected. The novelty of this paper consists of the fact that mineral diesel was used as the oil extractant, and the amount chosen was such that, at the end, a mixture of fuel with a ratio 9:1 of mineral diesel to biodiesel was be produced. The experiments were carried out using ground rapeseeds under laboratory conditions. The efficiency of oil extraction was investigated by the FTIR spectrometry method, and the efficiency of transesterification was determined by the gas chromatography method. It was found that the optimal reaction duration was 7 h, reaction temperature was 40 °C, and lipase content was 6% (from the oil content in rapeseed). An oil extraction efficiency of 99.92 ± 0.04 (w/w) was observed at these conditions. A transesterification degree of 99.08 ± 0.08% (w/w) met with the requirements of the standards for biodiesel fuel. The physical and chemical properties of the produced fuel mixture met the requirements of the standards for mineral diesel and biodiesel; therefore, it can be used in diesel engines.

Hydrophobic Ionic Liquids for Efficient Extraction of Oil from Produced Water

Produced water contaminated with oil has adverse effects on human health and aquatic life. Providing an efficient method for the removal of oil from produced water is a challenging task. In this study, the effects of carbon chain length and the cation nature of ionic liquids (ILs) on the removal efficiency of oil from produced water were investigated. For this purpose, seven ILs containing the bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (NTf2) anion, and various cations such as imidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium, and ammonium, were employed for the removal of oil from produced water via liquid–liquid extraction. The effects of process parameters such as the initial concentration of oil in produced water, contact time, pH, salinity, phase ratio, and temperature on the removal efficiency of oil were studied and optimized. 1-Decyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C10mim][NTf2]) (IL4) was found to give the highest oil extraction efficiency of 92.8% under optimum conditions. The extraction efficiency was found to increase with increasing cation alkyl chain length from C2 to C10. The extraction efficiency of ILs based on cations follows the order imidazolium &gt; ammonium &gt; phosphonium &gt; anpyridinium. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to explore the ILs interaction with oil using [C10mim][NTf2] as a model. In addition, 1H and 13C NMR spectra were recorded to obtain a better understanding of the molecular structure of IL and to investigate the peak shifts in H and C atoms. Moreover, the cell viability of the most efficient IL, [C10mim][NTf2], in human cells was investigated. It has been concluded that this IL exhibited minimal cytotoxic effects at lower concentrations against human cell lines and is effective for the extraction of oil from aqueous media.

The biocomposites properties of compounded poly(lactic acid) with untreated and treated spent coffee grounds

AbstractPoly (lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable and environmentally friendly material. And the spent coffee grounds (SCG) are huge waste all over the world. Therefore, the issue that how to convert the low‐value wastes SCG into more valuable products is attracting more research attention. In this work, we compounded PLA with SCG. Firstly, the efficiency of oil extraction from SCG was compared by different methods and solvents. Then, the biocomposites specimens of different SCG contents (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) were prepared by extrusion and injection molding. The effects of SCG particle size and content on the thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. Next, the effect of coupling agent (4,4‐methylene diphenyl diisocyanate [MDI]) on the biocomposites properties at 10 wt% SCG was examined by Field emission‐scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results show that the tensile strength and elongation at break of the PLA composites with the optimal contents are increased by about 50% and 120%, respectively, compared with untreated SCG.

Use of pulsed electric field to extract rapeseed oil and investigation of the qualitative properties of oils

AbstractRapeseed is one of the most commercially important oil crops in the world due to its high amount of oil stored in seeds and high nutritional value. In this study, the pulsed electric field (PEF) was used as a nonthermal pretreatment before extraction of rapeseed oil to increase extraction efficiency and improve the quality characteristics of rapeseed oil. Four levels of electric field intensity (0, 1, 4, and 7 kV/cm) with 30 and 80 pulse numbers and pulse width of 20 μs were applied and after treatment the samples were transferred to a cold press machine for oil extraction. Oil extraction efficiency, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, fatty acids profile, oxidative stability, total phenolic content, peroxide, and acid values of extracted oil were determined. The results indicated that an increase in the electric field intensity and pulse number, total phenolic compounds and oxidative stability of rapeseed oil increased compared to the control (p &lt; .05). Treating at 4 kV/cm and 80 pulse numbers was obtained as the highest extraction efficiency (46.11%), while with the further increase of the electric field intensity, the efficiency of the oil extraction process decreased (the extraction efficiency at 7 kV/cm and 80 pulse numbers was 45.94%). The highest phenolic compounds (320.04 ppm) and energy input (31.36 kJ/kg) were related to the intensity of 7 kV/cm and 80 pulse numbers. This study showed that the use of PEF is a suitable method for rapeseed pretreatment with no detrimental effects on extracted rapeseed oil quality.Practical ApplicationsIn recent years, new technologies such as PEF have been used in oil extraction due to their positive effects. The selection of nonthermal technologies to reduce process time, energy consumption, and economic issues as an industrial goal to improve food quality has been considered. The technology proposed in this study shows, that applying PEF for treating the rapeseed before oil extraction should be presented as an appropriate pretreatment in oil extraction industries. The PEF also showed a suitable impact on the quality of the rapeseed characterized.

Changes in qualitative characteristics of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) as affected by cold plasma

Cold plasma (CP) is one of the emerging technologies capable of creating special capabilities in agricultural products by affecting their surfaces. This technique can increase the content of essential oil extracted from active ingredients, while reducing the microbial load of medicinal and aromatic crops. In order to investigate the effect of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD-CP) on the qualitative characteristics of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), dried leaves were used for treatments. The experiment was performed with two variables of time (30, 60, 120 & 300 s) and voltage (17, 19, 21 & 23 kV). The results showed that the hydrophilicity of the samples was improved by CP treatment, while few changes were observed in leaf color characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy showed that increasing the treatment duration and the voltage could cause rupture and wrinkles in the glandular trichomes. Although the DBD-CP treatments increased the essential oil extraction efficiency of the leaves (by approximately 20 %), they did not significantly affect the essential oil components nor the amount of two important compounds, thymol and linalool, which increased slightly (3.7 % and 3.5 %, respectively). It can be concluded that DBD-CP can be used as a pretreatment and auxiliary tool in improving the extraction efficiency of thyme and does not have a negative effect on its essential oil components.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Variable-Pitch Tapered-Shaft Screw Press for Palm Oil Extraction

Palm fruit oil extraction is a difficult task to undertake. Screw press technology offers a solution to its extraction. However, most screw press available requires high power input for effective operation, thus affecting cost. Therefore, there is a need for improvement in order to limit cost and increase extraction efficiency. This work focuses on development of a variable-pitch tapered-shaft (VATS)screw pressfor enhancing palm fruit oil extraction efficiency. The VATS screw press machine consists of three main components including the hopper, the steamer, and the pressing unit, and was operated at temperature of 90, 110 and 130°C, shaft speed of 30, 45, and 60 rpm and heating time of 10, 15, 20 minutes. The performance evaluation carried on the machine includes oil yield, extraction efficiency and extraction loss. The results showed that the average oil yield, extraction efficiency and extraction loss were 83.72, 97.73 and 2.37% respectively. Whereas, a higher machine efficiency of 94.45% was obtained at a temperature of 130°C, shaft speed of 60 rpm, and heating time of 15 minutes. It is hoped that the information on the design concept for VATS screw press for palm fruit oil extraction will be useful for the vegetable oil industry.

Effect of Solid-State Fermentation on the Essential Oil Yield of Curcuma longa Residues.

The solid waste of Curcuma longa rhizomes generated after its cold juice process making is mostly unused and discarded even though they can contain essential oil. Conventional techniques such as hydrodistillation can be used to extract essential oil, but this generally results in low essential oil yield and inefficient extraction time. Solid-state fermentation as a pretreatment of distillation could improve the yield of essential oil. In this study, we evaluated the effect of solid state fermentation on the yield of extraction of Curcuma longa solid wastes essential oil. The solid-state fermentation was carried out naturally without any addition of inoculum and the extraction was performed by hydrodistillation. Under experimental conditions at room temperature (25^{circ }hbox {C}) with a moisture content of 44% and anaerobically in the dark, the treatment of 7 days of solid state fermentation followed by 2 h of hydrodistillation provided the highest yield of 1.21% as compared to non-fermented of 0.35% and of 0.96% relative to the raw plant material representing an increase of 71% and 21% respectively. A set of experiments was then carried out by a Doehlert matrix to optimize the yield of extraction. Two independent variables, namely the distillation time and the fermentation time, were studied. Under optimal experimental conditions of 10 days and 4 h, a yield of 1.96% was obtained validating the statistical model. The solid state fermentation applied before the hydrodistillation step has been successful and proves its potential to improve the efficiency of essential oil extraction.Graphical

Process optimization of conventional steam distillation system for peppermint oil extraction

ABSTRACT This study aims to optimize peppermint oil extraction process using response surface methodology (RSM). Experiments were performed for different batch sizes (1500, 1700, and 1900 kg). System performance was evaluated in terms of thermal efficiency, productivity, essential oil yield (EOY), extraction efficiency, and CO2 emissions. Total energy consumption for 1500, 1700, and 1900 kg batch sizes are 1379.46, 1336.58, and 1286.56 kWh, while CO2 emissions are 1104, 1069, and 1028 kg, respectively. Maximum hourly system productivity, cumulative productivity, maximum hourly thermal efficiency, maximum extraction efficiency, and maximum EOY were obtained as 8.3 L/h, 20 L, 2%, 41.5%, and 0.461% (w/w), respectively, for 1900 kg. Average increase in total productivity, extraction efficiency, and EOY was 49.25%, 1%, and 26%, increasing in batch size from 1500 kg to 1900 kg. Extraction time and batch size have important effect (p < 0.001) on the extraction yield. Optimal process parameters are identified 300 min of extraction time and 1807.5 kg of batch size. The highest oil yield was 1.0614% under optimal conditions. Experiment was further performed for 1807.5 kg of batch size and the yield was found as 1.04621. Predicted and experimental results were found in good consistency with percentage deviation of 1.436. Therefore, this is helpful in conducting further research on optimizing process parameters for conventional distillation system of peppermint oil extraction.