Thermal Processing Technologies Research Articles

Advances in Non-thermal Food Processing Methods-Principle Advantages and Limitations for the Establishment of Minimal Food Quality as well as Safety Issues: A Review

Background: The demand from consumers for safe, healthy food with a long shelf life, with no change in taste or nutritive value, has made food safety a key concern in today's world. Traditional thermal food processing technology has trouble meeting these standards. Conventional thermal and non-thermal processing has limitations and to overcome these limitations more studies are conducted regarding the novel non-thermal food processing methods. Objective: The goal of this paper was to present an overview of the research on the development of non-thermal processing techniques, such as electrofreezing, high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, pulsed light, and plasma activated water, as well as their advantages and limitations. Methods: The present review aims to summarize findings related to novel non-thermal processing techniques, gathered from work published in scientific journals, related books, and book chapters from sources such as Web of Science (WoS), Google Scholar, Scopus and ScienceDirect. Results: Non-thermal treatment may result in more desirable outcomes, such as greater preservation of heat-sensitive nutrients, fewer changes in sensorial as well as physico-chemical quality of the processed foods. Conclusion: Compared to traditional heat processing, the nutritional value of foods is better preserved, and the sensory qualities of foods are less altered. These novel techniques can be combined with each other to achieve higher efficiency and overcome other limitations. More studies should be conducted regarding the combination of novel non-thermal techniques to achieve greater efficiency.

Forefront Research of Foaming Strategies on Biodegradable Polymers and Their Composites by Thermal or Melt-Based Processing Technologies: Advances and Perspectives.

The last few decades have witnessed significant advances in the development of polymeric-based foam materials. These materials find several practical applications in our daily lives due to their characteristic properties such as low density, thermal insulation, and porosity, which are important in packaging, in building construction, and in biomedical applications, respectively. The first foams with practical applications used polymeric materials of petrochemical origin. However, due to growing environmental concerns, considerable efforts have been made to replace some of these materials with biodegradable polymers. Foam processing has evolved greatly in recent years due to improvements in existing techniques, such as the use of supercritical fluids in extrusion foaming and foam injection moulding, as well as the advent or adaptation of existing techniques to produce foams, as in the case of the combination between additive manufacturing and foam technology. The use of supercritical CO2 is especially advantageous in the production of porous structures for biomedical applications, as CO2 is chemically inert and non-toxic; in addition, it allows for an easy tailoring of the pore structure through processing conditions. Biodegradable polymeric materials, despite their enormous advantages over petroleum-based materials, present some difficulties regarding their potential use in foaming, such as poor melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, low service temperature, low toughness, and high brittleness, which limits their field of application. Several strategies were developed to improve the melt strength, including the change in monomer composition and the use of chemical modifiers and chain extenders to extend the chain length or create a branched molecular structure, to increase the molecular weight and the viscosity of the polymer. The use of additives or fillers is also commonly used, as fillers can improve crystallization kinetics by acting as crystal-nucleating agents. Alternatively, biodegradable polymers can be blended with other biodegradable polymers to combine certain properties and to counteract certain limitations. This work therefore aims to provide the latest advances regarding the foaming of biodegradable polymers. It covers the main foaming techniques and their advances and reviews the uses of biodegradable polymers in foaming, focusing on the chemical changes of polymers that improve their foaming ability. Finally, the challenges as well as the main opportunities presented reinforce the market potential of the biodegradable polymer foam materials.

Comparative study on microbiological, physicochemical and nutritional properties of whole cow milk by thermal and non-thermal processing technologies

The majority of the bioactive components in milk exhibit sensitivity to heat treatments. This research is the first systematically compare the effects of thermal (low-temperature long time pasteurization, LTLT; high-temperature short time pasteurization, HTST; ultra-high temperature, UHT; microwave-assisted heating; retort sterilization) and non-thermal (ultraviolet-C, UV-C; high hydrostatic pressure processing, HPP; filtered sterilization; high-intensity ultrasound, HIUS) treatments on the physicochemical properties and immune-active serum proteins of whole milk aliquots under the equivalent microbicidal efficacy. LTLT and HTST had little impact on whole milk. HPP at 400 MPa for 5 min was an optimal alternative to pasteurized milk in terms of equivalent microbicidal efficacy, higher nutrient retention (∼6% and 16.2% loss for IgG and lactoferrin) and fewer oxidation products (0.69 nmol/mg protein carbonyls). The serum protein denaturation of 600 MPa HPP-treated milk (79.4% and 31.36% loss for IgG and lactoferrin) was significantly higher than in pasteurized milk, but still lower than in UHT milk (97.16% and 70.85% loss for IgG and lactoferrin). Since photo-oxidation induced by high-dose irradiation was detrimental to the organoleptic properties, relying on UV-C as stand-alone replacement to pasteurization is not advisable. Combined with existing pasteurization methods, UV-C can achieve superior microbial inactivation at mild sterilization temperatures. HIUS, a promising novel tool, should be further optimized regarding the relevant standards to enable it to be used in industrial-scale processing and reproducibility. Compared with traditional thermal treatments, non-thermal strategies offer a significant reduction in the microbial load of raw milk while better preserving bioactive proteins, However, optimizing processing parameters remains essential to strike a balance between microbial inactivation and retention of active substances.

Application of novel microwave-assisted induction heating technology for extending the shelf life of ready-to-eat rice through microbial, physical, and chemical quality preservation

Microwave-assisted induction heating (MAIH) is a composite heating system that combines top-down microwave irradiation (1000 W, 2450 MHz) with bottom-up electromagnetic induction (1500 W). Rice samples prepared by both MAIH methods (120 °C for 240 s and 100 °C for 300 s) and traditional steam cooking (100 °C for 30 min) were analyzed for microbial count, color, pH value, and hardness during storage at 35 °C, 25 °C, and 4 °C. The results revealed that MAIH-treated rice demonstrated no detectable microbial growth at any storage temperature, whereas steamed rice exhibited microbial growth with increasing aerobic plate counts at 35 °C, 25 °C, and 4 °C after two, four, and sixteen weeks, respectively. Color analysis revealed a decline in L* and W values, with increased b* values over time for all samples at all storage temperatures. The pH values of the MAIH-treated rice remained stable, while steamed rice demonstrated a pH decrease during later stages of storage at 25 °C and 35 °C. The hardness of MAIH-treated rice slowly increased at 25 °C and 35 °C, whereas the steamed rice experienced a notable decrease. At 4 °C, all samples demonstrated increased hardness, with steamed rice having significantly higher values than MAIH-treated rice. Overall, MAIH treatment effectively delayed color, pH, and hardness alterations in rice in comparison to traditional steam cooking during storage. Industrial relevanceThe MAIH equipment is a novel thermal processing technology and provides the efficient pasteurization, reduced processing time, and improved overall quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) rice. Therefore, the MAIH technology is a viable future alternative for thermal processing method that possesses huge potential in the development of RTE rice products.

Colloidal study on the texture of sous vide (SV)-processed Tibetan chicken breast with human-machine collaborated electromyography analysis

Sous Vide (SV) is a potential meat thermal processing technology. However, the texture evolution of SV processed meat is not easy to understand due to the complex hierarchical structure of meat. In our research, a two-level meat colloidal model was carried out to analyze the texture of SV-processed Tibetan chicken breast. Moreover, electromyography analysis was used to collaborate the texture results between human sensory evaluation and machine detection. Although the denaturation and dehydration of sub-continuous phase cytoskeletal proteins are unavoidable even under 55 °C at 1 h or 65 °C at 0.5 h heating, the main-continuous phase collagen can achieve slow denaturation and sufficient conversion to gelatin if SV is applied. Different from collagen under high-temperature processing, gelatin does not exert shrinkage stress to the sub-continuous phase upon SV. Moreover, insignificant lateral contraction was revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thus, limited water migration and minimized cooking loss were achieved because of the integrity of the colloid system upon SV. Furthermore, physical properties proved the tenderization effect of SV. Thus, our results showed that the colloidal model combined with an electromyography study was useful in revealing the textual detail of pure meat or imitation meat.

Possibilities of landfills and solid waste sites for energy production in Ukraine

Dynamic changes in the energy sector towards the priority of renewable energy are stimulated by the political decisions in the European integrated environment aimed at achieving climate neutrality within the framework of the European Green Deal. The study aims to provide an in-depth investigation of the potential of landfills and solid waste sites for energy production in Ukraine. The study was conducted using general scientific methods, in particular, analysis and synthesis, abstraction, and comparison. The study examined the issues of developing the bioenergy potential of solid waste sites in Ukraine, including organisational, regulatory, technological, financial and investment aspects. The position of various operations for bioenergy waste processing in the solid waste management system, in particular, anaerobic digestion and solid fuel production, was identified, and an analysis of several thermal waste processing technologies was carried out. Among the features and characteristic requirements for the biogas production process using anaerobic methodology, the aspects of technological availability and economic feasibility are highlighted. The study examines the experience of production and use of organic Refuse Derived Fuel and Solid Recovered Fuel produced from solid waste sites, proving the need to optimise the regulatory support for biogas production at solid waste sites storage sites in the national legislative field. The article emphasises the possibility of practical use of Refuse Derived Fuel and Solid Recovered Fuel, in a partial format, to offset the shortage of fossil fuels in Ukraine and actively implement the concept of a sustainable green course for rational waste management. The results obtained can be used to improve the optimisation of strategic programmes for solid waste management in terms of their bioenergy potential

Research progress on the effects of thermal processing on different food allergen proteins

Food allergy is a global public health and food safety problem, and the removal or attenuation of allergenic proteins through food processing has historically been a focus in the field of food science. This paper introduces the effect of thermal processing technology on allergen protein sensitization of different foods (milk, peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, and aquatic products). Although processing cannot completely eliminate the allergen allergenic potential, the effects can be minimized by the selection of processing methods and processing parameters. It is hoped that this paper can provide a certain reference for the research and development of hypoallergenic or desensitized foods to ensure that desensitized foods can be obtained without affecting the nutritional value of foods to meet the normal dietary needs of people with food allergies. In addition, due to the vast territory of China, residents in different regions have different eating habits and lifestyles for people with food allergies, which makes it very difficult for people with food allergies to carry out dietary interventions. Therefore, one of the indispensable and important missions of the modern food industry is to solve the problem of dietary restrictions for people with food allergies, and the latest research results summarized in this article will help this.

Fracture failure analysis of an offshore drilling centralizer

Abstract As an important device to control the drilling direction in the drilling process, centralizer plays an important role in slowing the deviation and improving the casing centering degree. This paper makes a detailed analysis on the fracture failure of centralizer after multiple repair welding. First, the macroscopic appearance of the port is observed by macroscopic inspection. Secondly, the physical and chemical performance analysis shows that all indicators meet the requirements of the indicators. Finally, through the microscopic morphology, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and other means to analyze the port crack source, combined with a variety of tests to find the true cause of fracture failure centralizer. After inspection, it was found that the centralizer was fatigue fracture, and showed multi-source cracking characteristics. Therefore, strict control of centralizer especially after repair welding quality, strengthen the quality inspection of centralizer, to carry out the relevant thermal processing technology research, and further effectively prevent the occurrence of fracture failure.

Insights into nutrition, flavor and edible quality changes of golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus) fillets prepared by different cooking methods.

In recent years, Asia has seen an increase in demand for golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus). Especially in instant (ready-to-eat) and prepared (ready-to-cock) food processing industry. Thermal processing is a vital part of food processing. However, no comprehensive analysis has been reported on its flavor, nutrition and edible quality changes during the key thermal processing. Accordingly, in this study, we evaluated the effects of different cooking methods (steaming, frying, microwaving and baking) on the color, texture, cooking loss, nutrition composition, volatile flavor substances and other indicators of golden pomfret filets. The results showed that the steamed samples (SS) had the lowest cooking loss and fat content, the highest moisture content, complete appearance and the lowest levels of hardness and chewiness. Fried samples (FS) had a notable difference in fatty acid composition. The content of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) increased significantly, while the relative content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased from 7.88 to 1.42%, lower than other groups. The essential amino acid index (EAAI) of microwaved samples (MS) was 94.89, which was higher than other groups. Baked samples (BS) had the highest relative content of umami amino acids (UAAs) and sweet amino acids (SAAs), which was 8.08 mg/100 mg and 5.19 mg/100 mg, respectively. Hexanal and nonanal were detected in control samples (CK), SS, FS, MS and BS. While pyrazine compounds were detected only in FS and BS. Steaming and microwaving treatment of golden pomfret resulted in better nutritional preservation, which was more conducive to human health. Frying and baking treatment of golden pomfret had better taste and flavor and higher sensory scores. The nutrition, flavor and edible quality of golden pomfret under different cooking methods were related and interactive. Cooking loss and fat content can be used as simple evaluation indicators to compare the overall quality of different cooking methods. This study provides a reference for the thermal processing technology and industrial production of golden pomfret.

Crack healing behavior of 4H-SiC: Effect of dopants

We investigate the crack-healing mechanism of 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC) and reveal the effect of dopants on the crack-healing behavior of 4H-SiC. Vickers indentation tests and thermal annealing are utilized to generate cracks and heal cracks in 4H-SiC, respectively. High-temperature thermal annealing in the air atmosphere is found to be capable of effectively healing indentation-induced cracks and releasing indentation-induced stress in undoped 4H-SiC by the formation and viscous flow of glass phase SiO2. Nitrogen (N) doping is found to assist the atomic diffusion of 4H-SiC. The crack healing of N-doped 4H-SiC is realized by the synergy of host solid diffusion and the padding of glassy SiO2. In contrast, vanadium (V) doping hinders the viscous flow of SiO2 and results in the incomplete healing of cracks in V-doped 4H-SiC. Although the generation of cracks lowers the bending strength of 4H-SiC, the healing of cracks by the padding of glassy SiO2 is found to effectively recover the bending strength of indented 4H-SiC samples. Our work opens a pathway to design thermal processing technologies to heal the cracks and enhance the mechanical properties of 4H-SiC wafers.

Novel thermal and non-thermal millet processing technologies: advances and research trends

Novel thermal and non-thermal millet processing technologies: advances and research trends

Hurdle effect of thermosonication and non‐thermal processing on the quality characteristics of fruit juices: An overview

AbstractTraditional thermal processing technologies are widely used to extend the shelf life of fruit juices. However, its detrimental effect on the nutritional and sensory properties of fruit juices paved the way for alternative food processing technologies. Non‐thermal processing methods can be a substitute for thermal methods because they have no/minimal effect on the nutritive and sensory qualities of fruit juices and improve their storage quality by deactivating enzymes and eliminating microorganisms. In this review article, combined use of thermosonication (TS) with other non‐thermal processing technologies in fruit juice processing has been detailed. Additionally, the impact of TS on the various qualities of fruit juices as well as the TS mechanism have been covered. TS, one of the emerging non‐thermal technologies have been preferred in fruit juice and beverage processing industries over the past few years, due to consumer's preference towards high quality and nutritious food products. When TS is employed in combination with other non‐thermal processing methods, it reduces processing time, improves process efficiency, and reduces power consumption. The content of this review paper might be beneficial for upcoming research and the commercialization of this hurdle‐based approach.Practical ApplicationsGenerally, fruit juices were treated using thermal methods (e.g., pasteurization) for extending the shelf life by inactivating microbial and enzymatic activities. But it shows negative impact on the nutritional and sensorial attributes of fruit juices. Non‐thermal technologies like, TS has been preferred as an alternative method for the processing of juices due to their less/no effect on the quality parameters of juices. The benefits of TS as compared with thermal treatments include less flavor loss, significant energy savings, and increased homogeneity. TS reduces the processing temperature and time required for pasteurization of juices and it can be used to make high‐quality fruit juices that are additive‐ and preservative‐free. In the review, the effect of TS on fruit juice quality as well as its combined effect with high pressure processing and pulse electric field processing has been summarized. The finding of this review paper might be helpful for the further exploration of these technologies in the large‐scale food industries.

The Mixed Teaching Mode of Metal Materials and Thermal Processing Technology Based on the Residential College System

The residential college system is a reform and exploration of the student management system in China's colleges and universities in recent years, and has unique advantages in the practice of college culture education. However, as a new type of education model, the residential college system has a violent conflict with the traditional education model, and this conflict has become a pain point and difficulty in the development and construction of the residential college system. This paper relies on the residential college system to conduct research on the mixed teaching mode of "metal materials and thermal processing technology", which can well combine residential college and college. The conflict between the residential college education model and the college education model was solved.

Numerical simulation of the ignition law for a hot bridge wire electroexplosive device

Hot bridge wire electroexplosive devices (EEDs) are widely used as starting elements in aerospace and other fields. Their thermal ignition process and safety testing technology have always been a focus of research. In this paper, we construct a temperature rise model for a hot bridge wire EED by using the law of conservation of energy, and the temperature response of the bridge wire and the reagent is obtained. According to the theoretical and numerical analysis, the sensitive criterion for a hot bridge wire EED is given, and the simulation process for the critical ignition current is designed. Based on this process, the law of the influence of the bridge wire and reagent parameters on the ignition of a hot bridge wire EED was studied. The research results show that a first derivative of the reagent temperature with respect to the radial distance of greater than zero is a sensitive criterion for the ignition of a hot bridge wire EED with high accuracy. Compared with traditional numerical methods, the proposed process makes the acquisition of the critical ignition current more precise and programmable due to the use of sensitive criteria. In addition, the following significant features are noted: the critical ignition current first increases as the square root of the bridge wire radius and then linearly; the square of the critical ignition current increases linearly with the activation energy of the reagent; there is rapid exponential decay of the critical ignition current with increasing reagent combustion heat; asymptotic values are present. In engineering use, it is possible to conveniently design the ignition characteristics of a hot bridge wire EED by changing the radius of the bridge wire. This study serves as a foundational work for the safety testing of hot bridge wire EEDs and can provide theoretical guidance for the safety testing, actual production and use of hot bridge wire EEDs.

Electro-magnetohydrodynamics hybrid nanofluid flow with gold and magnesium oxide nanoparticles through vertical parallel plates

The hybrid nanofluid flow under suspension of Gold and Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (Au/MgO-NPs) propagating between vertical parallel plates is investigated. Sodium alginate third-grade non-Newtonian fluid is used as the base fluid. The effect of electro-magnetohydrodynamics is also taken into account. The energy equation also includes the effect of Joule heating and viscous dissipation. Due to the nonlinear nature of the formulated differential equations, perturbation strategy is utilized to acquire the analytical solutions. Discussion and plotting are presented with respect to most significant parameters. It is analyzed that the rate of heat transfer is dramatically increased, and this is owing to an increase in the thermal conductivity of the fluid due to hybrid nanofluid. With increment in buoyancy convection parameter and electric field parameter, the flow is accelerated. It is also noted that the temperature is boosted with increasing nanoparticle volume fraction of both magnesium oxide and gold nanoparticles. A comparison with previously studied results is also included. The applications of the work include novel thermal duct processing technologies in biomedical, nuclear and process engineering.

Retardation of quality loss and extension of shelf life of prepackaged hard clam heating by a novel microwave-assisted induction heating (MAIH) during refrigerated storage

Microwave-assisted induction heating (MAIH) is an emerging thermal processing technology that combines microwave and induction heating to provide rapid and even heating of food. A research found that the optimum MAIH cooking temperature for hard clams was 130 °C for 110 s or 90 °C for 130 s. The purpose of this work was to investigate whether MAIH could delay or not the loss of quality and prolong the shelf life of clams. Fresh clams were heated via MAIH to 130 °C for 110 s and to 90 °C for 130 s, respectively, and compared to the traditional boiling method of 90 °C for 150 s. Cooked clams were stored at 4 °C for 30 days to determine changes in microbiological quality and physicochemical properties. The results showed the undetectable aerobic plate count (APC) and psychrotrophic bacteria count (PBC) in the samples when heated via MAIH for the first 20 days of storage; thereafter, the counts increased gradually. By the end of the storage period, the final counts were approximately 4.0 log CFU/g. The initial APC and PBC in the sample heated with boiled water were at approximately 3.20 log CFU/g, which then increased over time to reach 7.66 log CFU/g and 8.06 log CFU/g, respectively, by the end of the storage period. After 30 days of storage, the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) in the MAIH-treated samples was significantly lower than that in the water-boiled samples, by less than 36 mg/100 g. In terms of color, the lightness (L*) and whiteness (W) of all samples decreased gradually, while the redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) increased. In terms of texture, the MAIH-treated samples retained greater hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness than the water-boiled samples (p < 0.05). Based on the above findings, compared to the traditional heating method of water boiling, the treatment of clam samples with MAIH retarded the degradation of texture, and inhibited the increase of TVBN and the growth of microorganisms during refrigerated storage. Thus, MAIH processing can prolong the storage life of the heat-treated clams from 10 days (when treated with boiling water) to 30 days at 4 °C.

Розробка цифрового близнюка наповнення резервуару газовою сумішшю

The research subject is a digital twin of the process of filling the tank with gas mixture components. The aim is to justified choose the digital twin model of the tank filling process with a gas mixture. The task of the study consists of the analysis of construction methods and the operation modes of the digital twin as well as selecting the operation settings of the digital twin model, which ensure a rational reproduction of the gas-dynamic non-stationary of the tank filling process with a component of the gas mixture. The following results were obtained. In accordance with the digitalization concept of modern production, the need to build digital twins for individual physical and chemical processes is substantiated in relation to the researched thermal pulse processing technology. The specifics of the operation of the fuel mixture generator using the critical hole method are determined and the corresponding defining equations for the dosing of gas mixture components and the tank filling time are given for constructing a control system using a digital twin of the process. Existing methods of building digital twins similar to the system under study are analyzed. For further use in the structure of a digital twin of a separate tank filling subsystem, a component of the gas mixture, a finite-element model of gas-dynamic unsteady flow was built and a numerical study was conducted using the ANSYS Fluent software. The dependence on the tank filling time of such basic parameters of the process under study as pressure, temperature, and filled mass of the gas mixture was determined. Reasoned feasibility and developed reduced-order model (ROM model ANSYS Fluent) and used in ANSYS Twin Builder to build a digital twin. Developed and analyzed examples of digital twins of the system of filling the tank with a gas mixture using standard elements of the Twin Builder and Modelica libraries.

Optimization of a Pyrometallurgical Process to Efficiently Recover Valuable Metals from Commercially Used Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials LCO, NCA, NMC622, and LFP

With an ever-growing demand for critical raw materials for the production of lithium-ion batteries and a price increase of respective commodities, an ever louder call from the industry for efficient recycling technologies can be noticed. So far, state-of-the-art industry-scaled pyrometallurgical recycling technologies all suffer from the same bottleneck of lithium slagging. At the Chair of Thermal Processing Technology at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, a novel reactor was developed to recover lithium and phosphorus via the gas phase in a pyrometallurgical process. Critical elements such as Li, Ni, Co, and Mn of the commercially used cathode materials LCO (LiCoO2), LFP (LiFePO4), NCA (LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2), and NMC622 (LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2) were analyzed in a batch version of the so-called InduRed reactor concept. The analyses underline that the reactor concept is highly suitable for an efficient recovery for the metals Ni and Co and that slagging of Li can not only be largely prohibited, but the elements lithium and phosphorous can even be recovered from the gas phase. Plant engineering issues were also considered for further development toward a continuous process. The MgO crucible used shows significant diffusion of various elements from the battery material, which is why the choice of crucible material still requires in-depth research.

Multitarget preservation technologies for chemical-free sustainable meat processing.

Due to the growing consumer demand for safe and naturally processed meats, the meat industry is seeking novel methods to produce safe-to-consume meat products without affecting their sensory appeal. The green technologies can maintain the sensory and nutritive characteristics and ensure the microbial safety of processed meats and, therefore, can help to reduce the use of chemical preservatives in meat products. The use of chemical additives, especially nitrites in processed meat products, has become controversial because they may form carcinogenic N-nitrosamines, a few of which are suspected as cancer precursors. Thus, the objective of reducing or eliminating nitrite is of great interest to meat researchers and industries. This review, for the first time, discusses the influence of processing technologies such as microwave, irradiation, high-pressure thermal processing (HPTP) and multitarget preservation technology on the quality characteristics of processed meats, with a focus on their sensory quality. These emerging technologies can help in the alleviation of ingoing nitrite or formed nitrosamine contents in meat products. The multitarget preservation technology is an innovative way to enhance the shelf life of meat products through the combined use of different technologies/natural additives. The challenges and opportunities associated with the use of these technologies for processing meat are also reviewed.

Influence of Impurities on the High-Temperature Behavior of the Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Material NMC under Reducing Conditions for Use in the InduRed Reactor Concept

In terms of an efficient circular economy in the field of the steadily increasing use of lithium-ion batteries, sustainable recycling methods are of fundamental importance. Therefore, the Chair of Thermal Processing Technology at Montanuniversitaet Leoben has developed the so-called InduRed reactor, a carbo-thermal concept to recover valuable metals from this waste stream. For optimization and further development of this technology, it is essential to have a sound knowledge of the cathode materials' behavior in combination with various impurities in the high-temperature range under reducing conditions. Detailed experiments were carried out in a heating microscope at temperatures up to 1620°C and argon purge. Aluminum from the electrode conductor foils and an excessive proportion of graphite from the anode were identified as the impurities with the most significant negative influence on the process. An optimum melting behavior was found during the tests at an admixture of 10 wt. % C and 1.95 wt. % Al to the cathode material NMC622 (LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2).