Search Results (2)

Hydrodynamic cavitation is assessed as a conditional process-intensification platform for the sustainable recovery and transformation of bioactive and functional fractions from agri-food residues, food-processing by-products, and plant-derived matrices. The analysis focuses on fractions enriched in polyphenols, flavonoids, pectins, carotenoids, proteins, pigments, essential oils, and other value-added compounds with potential relevance for food, nutraceutical, formulation-oriented, and related high-value applications. Rather than being considered an inherently green or universally superior technology, hydrodynamic cavitation is evaluated according to the specific process functions it can provide, including matrix disruption, mass-transfer enhancement, solvent-use reduction, recovery of pectin-associated fractions, protein extraction, macromolecular restructuring, dispersion, and process integration. Quantitative and scale-relevant indicators are considered where available, including recovery yield, target-compound content, solvent use, operating conditions, treated volume, energy input, fraction quality, and reporting limits. Comparison with ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pulsed electric fields, subcritical water extraction, natural deep eutectic solvents, and enzyme-assisted extraction indicates that its advantage is most defensible when hydrodynamic effects address a clearly identified matrix or process limitation. The available evidence supports substantial potential for wet matrices, plant by-products, aqueous suspensions, and liquid food systems. However, critical gaps remain in energy reporting, selectivity, recovered-fraction stability, scale-up, downstream processing, and application-oriented validation. Recovered fractions should therefore be regarded as candidate ingredients or functional intermediates, rather than as direct evidence of efficacy in final products. Full article

To mitigate the environmental footprint of the aviation sector, this study proposes an integrated cascading biorefinery scheme to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) precursor bloodstock via enzymatic transesterification of coconut oil. Utilizing a synergistic binary alcohol system (ethanol-butanol) and the liquid lipase Eversa Transform 2.0, a strategic molecular reconfiguration of fatty acid esters was achieved. Optimization through Response Surface Methodology (RSM) identified critical parameters—5% catalyst loading, total binary alcohol-to-oil molar ratio of 7:1 (specifically comprised of a 2.5:4.5:1 ethanol/butanol/coconut oil matrix), and an operation temperature of 57.5 °C—yielding a 97% conversion efficiency. A sequential vacuum fractional distillation process was implemented to partition the ethyl-butyl esters into high-value streams. Notably, the light distillate fraction, characterized by a specific carbon chain distribution (C6: 27.2%, C8: 52.5%, C10: 6%, and C12: 13.6%), perfectly aligns with the molecular window of aviation kerosene. This fraction exhibits excellent cold-flow properties, viscosity, and volatility profiles, positioning it as an ideal high-performance SAF precursor blendstock to increase the renewable content of current aviation fuels. Simultaneously, the remaining C16–C18 residue serves as a high-density energy source for internal refinery processes, while C8–C14 species are recovered as high-purity chemical feedstocks. This circular model maximizes carbon atom economy and economic viability by cogenerating high added-value biochemicals alongside jet-grade blendstocks. These findings provide a scalable, enzymatic framework for the next generation of decarbonized aviation fuels. Full article