Vegetable Oils Research Articles

Durable graphene-based alkyd nanocomposites for surface coating applications.

Recently, the scientific community's main goal is the long-term sustainability. Vegetable oils are easily accessible, non-depletable, and cost-effective materials. Vegetable oils are used to prepare polymeric alkyd surfaces. Novel and exciting designs of alkyd/graphene nanocomposites have provided eco-friendly thermal stability and protective coating surfaces. This review has briefly described important graphene-based alkyd nanocomposites along with their applications as protective coatings. These alkyd composites have high hydrophobicity, corrosion resistance, and durability. Graphene-based alkyd nanocoatings have many industrial and research interests because of their exceptional thermal and chemical properties. This work introduces an advanced horizon for developing protective nanocomposite coatings. The anti-corrosion properties and coatings' longevity may be improved by combining the synergistic effects of hybrid nanofillers introduced in this work.

Dispersion stability analysis of vegetable oil-based ionanolubricants

Recently, environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) developed from vegetable oils are more widely used in the field of lubrication technology as an alternative to mineral and synthetic oils. The homogeneous and long-term stability of additives in base lubricants is a crucial requirement for potential applications of vegetable oil-based ionanolubricants (INLs). In this study, the INLs have been formulated with two vegetable oils, rice bran oil and sesame oil containing TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and two ionic liquids IL1, 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide [EMIM][DCN] and IL2, trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(24,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate ([P66614][BTMPP]) with surfactants. The main objective is to find the suitable surfactant among sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Tween 20 (T-20), and Triton X-100 (TX-100) and its optimum additives to surfactant ratio. Dispersion stability of INLs has been investigated by using visual monitoring and dynamic light scattering. The analysis showed that additives start agglomeration and make larger clusters on the 10th and 20th days of formulation, respectively. On the 30th day of formulation, the larger clusters settle down in the bottom due to gravity. However, in spite of this pattern, the additives remain stable in vegetable oils at particular optimum additives to surfactant ratio. Four stable samples were recorded on the basis of dispersion stability analysis. Rice bran oil and IL1-based INLs having additives to TX-100 of 1:2 have found long-term stability. Additives to SDS ratios of 1:6 was found optimum for rice bran oil and IL2-based INLs. Similarly, for sesame oil-based INLs, the additives to T-20 ratios of 1:4 and 1:2 are found optimum for IL1 and IL2, respectively.

Nanostructured tungsten trioxide developed from environmentally friendly green process as a promising cathode for excellent field emission

Extensively explored as cathodes for field emission, nanostructured metal oxides play a crucial role in diverse applications such as microwave amplifiers, renewable energy systems, flat panel displays, and micro-electronics. The quest for high current density, low threshold field, and stable field emission persists. In present study, we introduce a green synthesis approach using vegetable oil as a reaction medium to produce hexagonal tungsten trioxide (h-WO3). The structural analysis confirmed the formation of h-WO3 with a nanorod-like morphology. The spin-coated h-WO3 film on a silicon substrate exhibited promising field emission properties, including a field enhancement factor (β) of 1596 and a turn-on field of 4.60 V/μm, comparable to reported values. This research opens avenues for the cost-effective and scalable utilization of h-WO3 as an electron emitter in advanced optical and electrical devices.

Antioxidant Activity, Glycemic Response, and Functional Properties of Rice Cooked with Red Palm Oil.

High rice consumption levels accompanied by a lifestyle lacking in physical activity leads to obesity and diabetes due to the rice consumed generally has high digestibility and high glycemic index. Red palm oil (RPO) is a vegetable oil suggested to have the potential to reduce starch digestibility and increase the bioactive compounds of rice. This research aimed to find out the best cooking method to produce rice with a sensory quality similar to regular rice and to study the effect of the best cooking method on the glycemic response and physicochemical properties of rice. The results showed that RPO addition increased the antioxidant activities and total carotenoid levels of rice. The addition of RPO after cooking has better antioxidant activity and total carotenoid than before cooking. Adding 2% RPO before or after cooking produced rice with similar or better sensory quality than regular rice. Rice cooked with 2% RPO added before cooking had a lower glycemic response than regular rice, which was suggested to be caused by the increasing formation of the amylose lipid complex and the triglycerides that protected the starch from amylase enzyme. The formation of the amylose lipid complex and triglyceride layers protecting rice starch was confirmed by the new peaks of the FTIR spectra, the appearance of oil-coated starch morphology, and the changes in the proportion of C and O atoms. In conclusion, the addition of 2% RPO before the cooking process can be considered as a cooking method to produce rice for diabetic patients.

Fabrication of Human Milk Fat Substitute: Based on the Similarity Evaluation Model and Computer Software.

We aimed to obtain the optimal formula for human milk fat substitute (HMFS) through a combination of software and an evaluation model and further verify its practicability through an animal experiment. The results showed that a total of 33 fatty acid (FA) and 63 triglyceride (TAG) molecular species were detected in vegetable oils. Palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, 18:1/16:0/18:1, 18:2/16:0/18:2, 18:1/18:1/18:1 and 18:1/18:2/18:1, were the main molecular species among the FAs and TAGs in the vegetable oils. Based on the HMFS evaluation model, the optimal mixed vegetable oil formula was blended with 21.3% palm oil, 2.8% linseed oil, 2.6% soybean oil, 29.9% rapeseed oil and 43.4% maize oil, with the highest score of 83.146. Moreover, there was no difference in the weight, blood routine indices or calcium and magnesium concentrations in the feces of the mice between the homemade mixed vegetable oil (HMVO) group and the commercial mixed vegetable oil (CMVO) group, while nervonic acid (C24:1) and octanoic acid (C8:0) were absorbed easily in the HMVO group. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the mixing of the different vegetable oils was feasible via a combination of computer software and an evaluation model and provided a new way to produce HMFS.

Optimization of QuEChERS cleanup for quantification of γ-oryzanol in vegetable oils by UHPLC-MS/MS

This study was based on QuEChERS cleanup coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS for the determination of γ-oryzanol compounds in vegetable oils. Several parameters of QuEChERS and UHPLC-MS/MS were studied for purify and detection γ-oryzanol compounds in oil samples. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the whole pretreatment procedure could be accomplished within 10 min without tedious procedure, larger volume of organic solvent and complicated apparatus. The limit of detections and the limit of quantifications for γ-oryzanol compounds were ranging from 0.1-0.3 µg kg−1 and 0.4–1.0 µg kg−1, respectively. Satisfactory recoveries of all analyts were ranging from 72.24 % to 101.33 %, and the intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 10.56 %. The validation indicated that rice band oil and corn oil were rich in 24-mCAF, CAF, β-SIF, CMF and STF. The QuEChERS-UHPLC-MS/MS simultaneously quantified five γ-oryzanol compounds in lipid matrices and assessed the nutritional and functional substances of vegetable oils.

Development of silanized bacterial cellulose aerogels for the incorporation of natural oils with healing properties: Copaiba (Copaifera officinalis), bourbon geranium (Pelargonium X ssp.) essential oils and buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) vegetable oil

Bacterial cellulose (BC) represents a promising biomaterial, due to its unique and versatile properties. We report, herein, on purposely-designed structural modifications of BC that enhance its application as a wound dressing material. Chemical modification of the functional groups of BC was performed initially to introduce a hydrophobic/oleophilic character to its surface. Specifically, silanization was carried out in an aqueous medium using methyltrimethoxisilane (MTMS) as the silanizing agent, and aerogels were subsequently prepared by freeze-drying. The BC-MTMS aerogel obtained displayed a highly porous (99 %) and lightweight structure with an oil absorption capacity of up to 52 times its dry weight. The XRD pattern indicated that the characteristic crystallographic planes of the native BC were maintained after the silanization process. Thermal analysis showed that the thermal stability of the BC-MTMS aerogel increased, as compared to the pure BC aerogel (pBC). Moreover, the BC-MTMS aerogel was not cytotoxic to fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In the second step of the study, the incorporation of natural oils into the aerogel's matrix was found to endow antimicrobial and/or healing properties to BC-MTMS. Bourbon geranium (Pelargonium X ssp.) essential oil (GEO) was the only oil that exhibited antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms, whereas buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) vegetable oil (BVO) was non-cytotoxic to the cells. This study demonstrates that the characteristics of the BC structure can be modified, while preserving its intrinsic features, offering new possibilities for the development of BC-derived materials for specific applications in the biomedical field.

Tuning the properties of plant-based whipped cream through zein nanoparticles-sodium stearate complex

The fabrication of plant-based whipped creams is proposed to reduce the high saturated fat content of regular whipped creams by using plant proteins and unsaturated oils. The lack of functionality of regular plant proteins and the absence of crystals in vegetable oils make this process challenging. Here, we hypothesize that the functionality of corn protein zein can be improved by the creation of zein nanoparticles-sodium stearate complex (ZNP-SS), and that monoacylglyceride (MAG) based oleogels can increase the solid fat content of vegetable oils. Therefore, plant-based whipped cream can be produced from oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by ZNP-SS and MAG. A serial of ZNP-SS was produced and characterized in terms of molecular interactions, wettability, and surface activity. Moreover, their ability to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions and foams in the presence or absence of MAG was evaluated. Results show that ZNP-SS complex were stabilized through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. An increase in the amount of sodium stearate caused an increase in hydrophilicity, which improved the interfacial properties of ZNP-SS. Corn oil-in-water emulsions were successfully stabilized by all the ZNP-SS, while only the ones with the highest amount of sodium stearate (ZNP-0.6) were able to create stable whipped creams because of the partially coalesced oil droplets in the presence of MAG.

A Comparative Study on the Sustainability of Groundnut Oil Storage Stability using Ethylacetate Extract from Piliostigma reticulatum and Butylated Hydroxyanisole

Lipid oxidation poses a significant challenge, adversely affecting the long-term stability of vegetable oils. This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ethyl acetate extract from Piliostigma reticulatum leaves and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) in preserving freshly extracted groundnut oil during a four-month storage study. The groundnut oil was divided into five treatment groups and the progression of oxidative changes in each of these groups was diligently monitored every two weeks over the course of four months. Key parameters, including free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), total phenolic content (TPC), and total carotenoid, were analyzed. The results of the stability study revealed that FFA and PV increased in all treatment groups over time, but the oil protected with P. reticulatum plant extract exhibited the lowest values. IV, TP, and total carotenoid were also observed to decrease in all groups, with the plant extract-protected oil sample showing the least reduction. This study concludes that the ethyl acetate fraction of P. reticulatum demonstrates superior antioxidant properties compared to BHA and can be considered a promising natural alternative for safeguarding vegetable oil against lipid oxidation.

Dietary lipid sources affect growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity and inflammatory response of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The present study explored the effects of different lipid sources replacing fish oil on growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and disease resistance of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Four isonitrogenous (crude protein 50.46%) and isolipidic (crude lipid 11.12%) diets were formulated to contain 7% of different oil sources including fish oil (FO) (control), soybean oil (SO), linseed oil (LO) and coconut oil (CO). Largemouth bass with initial body weight of 36.0 ± 0.2 g were randomly distributed into 12 tanks, with 30 fish per tank and 3 tanks per treatment. The fish were fed the experiment diets twice daily for 8 weeks. The results indicated that the weight gain of largemouth bass fed the FO diet was significantly higher than that of fish fed the LO and CO diets. The liver crude lipid content in FO group was significantly higher than other groups, while the highest liver triglyceride content was showed in SO group and the lowest was detected in LO group. At transcriptional level, expression of lipogenesis related genes (pparγ, srebp1, fas, acc, dgat1 and dgat2) in the SO and CO group were significantly higher than the FO group. However, the expression of lipolysis and fatty acids oxidation related genes (pparα, cpt1, and aco) in vegetable oils groups were significantly higher than the FO group. As to the antioxidant capacity, vegetable oils significantly reduced the malondialdehyde content of largemouth bass. Total antioxidant capacity in the SO and LO groups were significantly increased compared with the FO group. Catalase in the LO group was significantly increased compared with the FO group. Furthermore, the ER stress related genes, such as grp78, atf6α, atf6β, chop and xbp1 were significantly enhanced in the vegetable oil groups compared with the FO group. The activity of serum lysozyme in vegetable oil groups were significantly higher than in FO group. Additionally, the relative expression of non-specific immune related genes, including tlr2, mapk11, mapk13, mapk14, rela, tgf-β1, tnfα, 5lox, il-1β and il10, were all significantly increased in SO and CO groups compared to the other groups. In conclusion, based on the indexes including growth performance, lipid deposition, antioxidant capacity and inflammatory response, SO and LO could be alternative oil sources for largemouth bass.

Effective isolation and comprehensive quantification of EPA16 PAHs, EU15+1 PAHs, 17 halogenated PAHs, and 18 oxygenated PAHs in soybean oil

Halogenated and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (XPAHs and OPAHs) have attracted increasing attention due to their considerable or higher toxicity than the corresponding parent PAHs. However, only a few kinds of PAH derivatives were monitored in vegetable oils due to the difficulties in analysis. This study aimed to establish analytical methods for 24 PAHs, 17 XPAHs and 18 OPAHs in soybean oil. The modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) pretreatment followed by GC-MS/MS or UPLC-MS/MS analysis was applied in this study. The results showed that the modified QuEChERS pretreatment could successfully extract 56 PAHs and derivatives in soybean oil, which saved organic solvent to a great extent. Simultaneous determination of EPA16 PAHs, EU15+1 PAHs, 17 XPAHs, and 12 OPAHs in soybean oil was achieved by GC-MS/MS analysis, which had recoveries of 61.33-111.61% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 1.35-19.89%. UPLC-MS/MS analysis obtained recoveries from 51.61% to 109.45% and RSDs from 1.31% to 15.05% for 14 OPAHs. As a supplement to GC-MS/MS, UPLC-MS/MS exhibited high sensitivity to ortho-OPAHs and benzo[a]pyrene–quinone isomers. Through GC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS analyses, the concentrations of two XPAHs and ten OPAHs in soybean oils were firstly reported. In short, this study offered guidance for comprehensive analyses of PAHs, XPAHs, and OPAHs in vegetable oils.

Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death

Age-standardized dementia mortality rates are on the rise. Whether long-term consumption of olive oil and diet quality are associated with dementia-related death is unknown. To examine the association of olive oil intake with the subsequent risk of dementia-related death and assess the joint association with diet quality and substitution for other fats. This prospective cohort study examined data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1990-2018) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS; 1990-2018). The population included women from the NHS and men from the HPFS who were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to July 2023. Olive oil intake was assessed every 4 years using a food frequency questionnaire and categorized as (1) never or less than once per month, (2) greater than 0 to less than or equal to 4.5 g/d, (3) greater than 4.5 g/d to less than or equal to 7 g/d, and (4) greater than 7 g/d. Diet quality was based on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index and Mediterranean Diet score. Dementia death was ascertained from death records. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs adjusted for confounders including genetic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Of 92 383 participants, 60 582 (65.6%) were women and the mean (SD) age was 56.4 (8.0) years. During 28 years of follow-up (2 183 095 person-years), 4751 dementia-related deaths occurred. Individuals who were homozygous for the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele were 5 to 9 times more likely to die with dementia. Consuming at least 7 g/d of olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death (adjusted pooled HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.81]) compared with never or rarely consuming olive oil (P for trend < .001); results were consistent after further adjustment for APOE ε4. No interaction by diet quality scores was found. In modeled substitution analyses, replacing 5 g/d of margarine and mayonnaise with the equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with an 8% (95% CI, 4%-12%) to 14% (95% CI, 7%-20%) lower risk of dementia mortality. Substitutions for other vegetable oils or butter were not significant. In US adults, higher olive oil intake was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality, irrespective of diet quality. Beyond heart health, the findings extend the current dietary recommendations of choosing olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive-related health.

Supramolecular deep eutectic solvent: a powerful tool for pre-concentration of trace metals in edible oil.

The utilization of supramolecular deep eutectic solvent eddy-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction utilizing 2-hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (SUPRADES) has been identified as a successful method for pre-enriching Cu, Zn, and Mn in vegetable oil samples. Determination of each element was conducted by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after digestion of metal-enriched phases. Various parameters were examined, including the composition of SUPRADES species [2HP-β-CD: DL-lactic acid], a cyclodextrin mass ratio of 20wt%, a water bath temperature of 75 °C, an extractor volume of 800 μL, a dispersant volume of 50μL, and an eddy current time of 5min. Optimal conditions resulted in extraction rates of 99.6% for Cu, 105.2% for Zn, and 101.5% for Mn. The method exhibits a broad linear range spanning from 10 to 20,000μg L-1, with determination coefficients exceeding 0.99 for all analytes. Enrichment coefficients of 24, 21, and 35 were observed. Limits of detection ranged from 0.89 to 1.30μg L-1, while limits of quantification ranged from 3.23 to 4.29 μg L-1. The unique structural characteristics of the method enablethe successful determination of trace elements in a variety of edible vegetable oils.

Safety assessment of the substance amines, di-C14-C20-alkyl, oxidised, from hydrogenated vegetable oil, for use in food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of amines, di-C14-C18-alkyl, oxidised, renamed by the Panel as amines, di-C14-C20-alkyl, oxidised, from hydrogenated vegetable oil. The substance amines, bis(hydrogenated tallow alkyl) oxidised, consisting of the same components, but originating from tallow, is currently authorised as FCM substance No 768. The vegetable-sourced substance is intended to be used at up to 0.1% w/w as antioxidant and/or stabiliser in the manufacture of polyolefin food contact materials (FCM) and articles intended for contact with dry, aqueous and acidic foods. The substance is a mixture consisting of linear N,N-dialkyl hydroxylamines and their corresponding amine, nitrone and oxime derivatives, as well as further components: tert-N-oxides, secondary amides and carboxylic acids. Specific migration was tested from polyethylene samples in 10% ethanol and 3% acetic acid for 2 h at 100°C followed by 10 days at 60°C. None of the non-authorised components were detected to migrate at detection limits (LoD) in the range 0.003-0.029 mg/kg. The LoD of authorised carboxylic acids was 0.35 mg/kg. The Panel reassessed the genotoxicity studies carried out on FCM No 768 and evaluated two new bacterial reverse mutation tests on the nitrone and oxime derivatives as well as new (qualitative/quantitative) structure-activity relationship (Q)SAR analyses on other components. The Panel concluded that the substance did not raise a concern for genotoxicity. The Panel concluded that the substance is not of safety concern for the consumers if it is used as an additive at 0.1% w/w in the manufacture of polyolefin FCM intended to be in contact with foods simulated by food simulants A, B, C and E, except for infant formula and human milk, for storage above 6 months at room temperature and below, including hot-fill conditions and heating up to 100°C for 2 h.

Genotypic effects on accelerated propagation of oil palm breeding materials selected (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) using somatic embryogenesis

Vegetable oil production from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an important industry due to the rising demand every year. The somatic embryogenesis culture can propagate oil palm duplicate as the parent, which can be selected as breeding material to produce new planting germplasm with high production or disease resistance. This study aims to evaluate the genotypic effect of somatic embryogenesis, while immature leaflets were employed as explants. The culture used medium embryo induction based on Murashige and Skoog (MS) modifications that contained 5 mg/l Naphthalene Acetic acid (NAA) and 0.5 mg/l Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP). The genotypic effect was statistically significant in the percentage of callus induction, producing somatic embryos, and germination embryos. In this study, we successfully cloned thirteen oil palm genotypes (GE-02, GE-03, GE-06, GE-07, GE-09, GE-23, GE-24, GE-27, GE-28, GE-32, GE-33, GE-34, and GE-35), with the highest number of somatic embryos formed on GE-27 with a percentage of 70.1%. The cloning was successful in accelerating the propagation of oil palm for materials breeding programs to create new varieties with high production and disease resistance. It is necessary to observation the performance of the clones in the field in terms of mantle flower appearance.

Effect of deodorization conditions on fatty acid profile, oxidation products, and lipid-derived free radicals of soybean oil

Oxidative stability is a key quality characteristic of edible oils, and the oil’s antioxidant capacity decreases during the deodorization stage. This study explores the changes in radical formation, molecular structure, oxidative characteristics, fatty acids, and main bioactive compounds in soybean oil during deodorization. The lag phase decreased, whereas the total amount of spins of free radicals increased as the deodorization time increased from 90 to 150min. The total amount of spins and percentage of alkyl radicals varied dramatically under different times and temperatures (220 ∼ 260 ℃). Results showed that identifying and quantifying the formed radicals can provide useful information for monitoring and controlling oil oxidation in vegetable oil refining systems. Therefore, to control early oxidation events, maximize refined oil product yield, and reduce energy consumption in the refining plant, the priority should be to minimize temperature during the oil refining process and then shorten the deodorization time.

Fully bio-sourced catalyst-free covalent adaptable networks from epoxidized soybean oil and L-tartaric acid

Epoxidized vegetable oil (EVO)-based epoxy systems offer a promising avenue for replacing non-recyclable petroleum-based thermoset elastomers. Looking towards future prospects, they also hold potential to evolve into sustainable covalent adaptable networks (CANs). Typically, transesterification-based CANs require catalysts to achieve crosslinked structures that are reprocessable at relatively high temperatures (T ≥ 150 °C). In this study, epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) was cross-linked with a eutectic hardener composed of L-tartaric acid (TAR) and ethyl lactate (in an aqueous solution), resulting in the development of a fully bio-based 3D covalent network capable of reprocessing without the need for an exogenous catalyst. In addition, it was demonstrated that the peculiar structure of L-tartaric acid, with –OH groups linked to its backbone, plays a prominent role in the reactivity of the system. These free hydroxyl functions facilitate both the ring-opening of epoxides and transesterification reactions, thus enhancing both curing and covalent exchange kinetics.

Basic characterization of three kinds of bio-asphalt and research on the low-temperature performance of bio-asphalt mixtures

Bio-oil is a by-product of waste biomass treatment using high-pressure liquefaction, bio-enzymatic, or high-temperature thermal cracking techniques, and can alleviate the shortage of petroleum asphalt resources. This study investigated the production of bio-oil from selected raw materials, including corn stover, castor oil from castor beans, and epoxy vegetable oil from soybeans for the preparation of bio-asphalt. The properties and mechanisms of modification of the three modified bio-asphalts were explored by assessment of basic physical properties, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), temperature scanning (DSR), and thermogravimetric analysis, as well as Semi-Circular Bending (SCB), low-temperature bending, and fatigue tests. Bio-oil was found to improve the low-temperature cracking resistance of the asphalt mixtures, with the improvement further enhanced by changing the blending amount. The bio-oil was observed to negatively affect the low-temperature fatigue performance of the mixes, and the decrease in the n-value indicated that the bio-oil could make the asphalt mixtures less stress-sensitive under repeated loading, with improved anti-fatigue performance of bio-asphalt mixtures observed when the stress ratio was 0.5. Finally, the low-temperature cracking performance index of the corn stover bio-asphalt mixtures was correlated with the gray entropy. The use of the SCB fracture index was found to be more appropriate when using the semicircular bending test to characterize the low-temperature cracking performance of bio-asphalt mixtures.

Optimal design and scheduling of ecofriendly process for the production of natural tocopherols present in residue from the vegetable oil refinery

This paper addresses the optimal design of molecular distillation (MD) process for the treatment of a residue of the edible oils refining industry. This work focuses on optimizing the number of units and their size, performing the scheduling of the separation tasks assigned to each unit with the objective of treating a residue with the minimum number of process equipment at a specific size to process a certain annual production of ODD (Oil Deodorization Distillate). The MD is considering clean technology because only consumption electric energy and not generate highly polluting waste. The stream of ODD has a high organic contaminant load. This requires more than one distillation stage to obtain tocopherols as a product (four stage for this study case). Here, to evaluate the process with minimum number stage a first screening was done using the traditional model of constant size factors, but afterwards the best candidate alternative was optimized as regards to the flow rates to be recycled to previous stages. The objective is to add value to a residual stream of oil refining processes, resorting to MD technology, given that MD is a very expensive technology, and in this particular case where its size is small, limited by manufacturer. For all scheduling alternatives analyzed, the best economic performance yields a Profit of 381,360 $/yr with two MD equipment and optimizing the material balances and recycles. This process is with an assignment of tasks to units that yields one larger equipment to perform the first three separation stages, and a quite small equipment to perform the last separation stage. This process has even better economic performance than the same process without reflux recirculation optimization. The process with one unit yielded technically infallible results. The process with three units showed less favorable economic performance.

Optimization of coagulation-flocculation process for wastewater treatment from vegetable oil refineries using chitosan as a natural flocculant

Vegetable oil refinery wastewater (VORW) is a significant source of refractory pollutants necessitating efficient treatment prior to discharge. This study investigates the treatment of VORW via coagulation-flocculation using ferric chloride (FeCl3) as a coagulant and chitosan as a natural flocculant. Central Composite Design (CCD) is employed to optimize the treatment process and assess the interplay of experimental factors. The study evaluates turbidity, COD, and polyphenols as responses, with pH, FeCl3 concentration, chitosan dosage, and agitation time as independent factors.The results showed that the optimal conditions identified include pH 6, FeCl3 dosage of 1.6 g/L, chitosan dosage of 13.4 mg/L, and agitation time of 26 min, resulting in 100 % turbidity removal, 86 % COD reduction, and 90 % polyphenol removal. The analysis of variance indicated that the established models were significant and that they are characterized by a good fit (R2 in the order of 0.95, 0.96, and 0.96 for turbidity, COD, and polyphenols, respectively).These findings highlight the efficacy and sustainability of the coagulation-flocculation process with chitosan, offering a practical, rapid, and cost-effective solution for VORW treatment and environmental preservation.