Production
Eighty-three perĀcent of the sugar found in olive pits can be effiĀciently retrieved and, thanks to the high qualĀity of the raw mateĀrĀial extracted, it can then be used in sevĀeral difĀferĀent indusĀtrial processes.
Researchers at the University of JaĆ©n has devised a new method they believe will appeal to the food and pharĀmaĀceuĀtiĀcal indusĀtry as well as the bioĀfuĀels secĀtor.
In a note pubĀlished by the University, researchers explained that those results depend on a two-step proĀceĀdure: An acid soluĀtion is used to sepĀaĀrate the conĀtents of the olive pit before the chemĀiĀcal bonds are broĀken down so that the new comĀpounds may emerge.
See Also:Articles on SustainabilityāThis techĀnique saves most of the sugĀars involved, and that means a greater potenĀtial for the derived bioĀlogĀiĀcal prodĀucts,ā explained Eulogio Castro, co-author of the study pubĀlished by the Industrial Crops and Products jourĀnal.
More specifĀiĀcally, the gluĀcose retrieved by the new proĀceĀdure is transĀformed into derived bio-prodĀucts among which the sciĀenĀtists cited bio-ethanol, an effiĀcient bio-fuel comĀpound, xylĀiĀtol, a widely used sweetĀener, and lacĀtic acid, which is a base for the proĀducĀtion of sevĀeral macro-molĀeĀcules.
āAs a result of the comĀbined preĀtreatĀment under the selected operĀaĀtion conĀdiĀtions,ā the researchers reported, āāan overĀall sugar proĀducĀtion yield of 83 perĀcent of the total sugar conĀtent in raw olive stones can be obtained, takĀing into account the difĀferĀent sugar streams genĀerĀated along the whole process.ā
The next step for the engiĀneers and researchers is to apply the new method to much higher volĀumes of olive pits. The proĀceĀdure will be inteĀgrated within a bio-refinĀery plant where traĀdiĀtional energy sources are subĀstiĀtuted by renewĀable sources.
The study is part of a three-year-long project carĀried out in Madrid by the CIEMAT (Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research) titled āāProgress towards a flexĀiĀble bio-refinĀery of raw mateĀriĀals and prodĀucts in regions with a high denĀsity of agro-indusĀtrial bioĀmass: case of the olive grove.ā
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