Decoloration of sugarcane molasses by tight ultrafiltration: Filtration behavior and fouling control

Sweet sorghum juice clarification and concentration: a review

Sweet sorghum is a promising biomaterial, considering its nutritional and energy value, unpretentiousness in cultivation and its promising economic parameters of processing. The concentrate of sweet sorghum juice is an outstanding material for food purposes, meeting the emerging trends of the industry. This review presents data on the physicochemical properties of sweet sorghum juice and sirup, as well as technological details on the processes of its pretreatment, clarification, and concentration. Physicochemical properties of raw juice of sweet sorghum, as well as purified juice and sirup, are discussed in terms of material pretreatment, methods of clarification and concentration, and storage conditions. Comprehensive theoretical principles, methodological details and explanations of the consistency of sweet sorghum juice processing are given. This work focuses entirely on the relationship between sweet sorghum juice treatment methods and its composition and provides versatile source of information for food science community, farmers, and entrepreneurs.

An interpenetrating polymer networks based on polydivinylbenzene/aminated polyglycidyl methacrylate with better decolorization performance toward reducing sugar solution

The separation of valuable sugar components from a xylose mother liquor (XML) requires a pre-decolorization over a resin, however the market-available resins show a low performance. To overcome this drawback, an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) resin was designed for efficiently removing the non-sugar impurities from an XML. The prepared IPN resin showed good decolorization performance for the XML, and the decolorization effect of the XML on the resin modified with a short-chain amination reagent was better. The adsorption capacity of the resin for phenols was significantly improved after an amination-modification, but that for furfural remained constant. The theoretical study confirmed that good decolorization effect of the XML on that resin was mainly ascribed to the synergistic action of adsorption forces, such as π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding.

Natural sweeteners: Sources, extraction and current uses in foods and food industries

Food producers have leaned towards alternative natural and synthetic sweeteners in food formulations to satisfy market demands. Even so, several synthetic sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, saccharin, sucralose) are becoming less popular due to health-related concerns, lower nutritional values, and controversies around their safety. Conversely, natural sweeteners confer favourable customer perceptions due to their association to a healthier lifestyle and higher nutritional values. This article discusses the evidence of natural sweeteners in the available commercial products. A comprehensive review of natural sweeteners is presented, which includes their resources, properties and extraction methods, as well as a discussion on several emerging technologies that offer improvements to the traditional extraction methods. Finally, the progress of natural sweeteners in the food industry is assessed, and the commercial food products containing these natural sweeteners are mentioned.

Effectively Converting Cane Molasses into 2,3-Butanediol Using Clostridium ljungdahlii by an Integrated Fermentation and Membrane Separation Process

Firstly, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is a chemical platform used in several applications. However, the pathogenic nature of its producers and the expensive feedstocks used limit its scale production. In this study, cane molasses was used for 2,3-BDO production by a nonpathogenic Clostridium ljungdahlii. It was found that cane molasses alone, without the addition of other ingredients, was favorable for use as the culture medium for 2,3-BDO production. Compared with the control (i.e., the modified DSMZ 879 medium), the differential genes are mainly involved in the pathways of carbohydrate metabolism, membrane transport, and amino acid metabolism in the case of the cane molasses alone. However, when cane molasses alone was used, cell growth was significantly inhibited by KCl in cane molasses. Similarly, a high concentration of sugars (i.e., above 35 g/L) can inhibit cell growth and 2,3-BDO production. More seriously, 2,3-BDO production was inhibited by itself. As a result, cane molasses alone with an initial 35 g/L total sugars was suitable for 2,3-BDO production in batch culture. Finally, an integrated fermentation and membrane separation process was developed to maintain high 2,3-BDO productivity of 0.46 g·L⁻¹·h⁻¹. Meanwhile, the varied fouling mechanism indicated that the fermentation properties changed significantly, especially for the cell properties. Therefore, the integrated fermentation and membrane separation process was favorable for 2,3-BDO production by C. ljungdahlii using cane molasses.

Sulfate removal from lignite coal mine drainage in Thailand using ettringite precipitation

This research was studied the optimum conditions for sulfate removal from lignite coal mine drainage in Thailand by ettringite precipitation using Central Composite Design. The effects of Ca/S and Al/S ratio (mole basis), reaction time and temperature on the sulfate removal efficiency were investigated. The statistical analysis showed that the Al/S ratio and reaction time had a significant effect on sulfate removal efficiency. The sulfate removal efficiency increases when Al/S ratio and reaction time are increased. The Ca/S ratio in the range of 1-7 was found to have no significant effect on sulfate removal efficiency. The optimal reaction time obtained from the predicted equation was 6.14 h, while the Ca/S and Al/S ratios were fixed at 4 and 4.5, respectively, at ambient temperature. Under the optimum conditions, sulfate removal of 99.6 and 99.0% was achieved in both Lamphun and Lampang mine drainage, respectively, which is very close to the predicted value (100%). This study showed that the sulfate removal efficiencies of Lamphun and Lampang mine drainage sharply increased from 33.3 to 89.9% and 42.3 to 81.8%, respectively, when the temperature was increased from 25 to 80 ^○C during a 3 h reaction time. XRD results match well with a majority of ettringite and a minority of calcium carbonate when the precipitation was done at ambient temperature. However, monosulfate was found to be the majority when the precipitation was done at 80 ^○C due to the decomposition of ettringite to monosulfate at the high temperature.

Improving the method of determining the mass fraction of magnesium carbonate and the study of the chemical composition of carbonate rocks for the effective conduct of the technological process of sugar production

The article considers an improved method for determining the content of magnesium carbonate in the carbonate rock. An adjusted method for determining the content of magnesium carbonate was included in the complete establishment of chemical analysis of limestone, which includes the determination of moisture, impurities insoluble in hydrochloric acid, the amount of one and a half oxides of aluminum and iron, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate (advanced method), calcium sulfate, alkali metal oxides of potassium and sodium. The obtained experimental data were entered into a single table and summed up the material balance of all components of the carbonate rock. As a result, it was found that this technique includes the following criteria: it is the most accurate, most accessible, and cheap. The use of adjusted methods for determining the content of calcium and magnesium carbonate in limestone will make it possible to establish the objective chemical composition of the carbonate rock and avoid several technological problems. Namely, the excess of uncontrolled magnesium carbonate contributes to the formation of the liquid phase, which in turn reduces the concentration of chemically active lime and promotes the formation of melts in the lime kiln, deteriorating filtration rates, clogging the evaporating station, and so on. Therefore, having information about the real component composition of limestone, the technologist will be able to adjust the technological process in advance, which will lead to the preservation of natural resources while the quality of finished products will not decrease.

An improved method for determining the mass fraction of calcium carbonate in the carbonate bedrock

In the article it is offered to enter in the technological audit of the lime department of sugar factory the adjusted technique of the definition of the maintenance of calcium carbonate in carbonate breed. For this purpose, a complete chemical analysis of limestone was performed, which includes determination of moisture content, impurities insoluble in hydrochloric acid, the amount of one and a half oxides of aluminum and iron, calcium carbonate (advanced method), and magnesium carbonate, calcium sulfate, alkali metal oxides, potassium, and sodium. The obtained experimental data are summarized in one table and the material balance of all components of carbonate bedrock is summarized. The proposed method made it possible to obtain objective data on the component composition of the carbonate material. This, in turn, avoids many technological problems, namely to reduce the formation of melts in the lime kiln, improve the filtration of juices, increase the ability of lime to chemically interact with water, reduce the volume of water on the juicer etc. Thus, the use of the recommended method for determining calcium carbonate (CaCO3), as part of the technological audit, will allow early adjustment of the process, which will give maximum energy and resource savings, as well as increase the level of environmental friendliness of the enterprise.

Nanofiltration for separation and purification of saccharides from biomass

Saccharide production is critical to the development of biotechnology in the field of food and biofuel. The extraction of saccharide from biomass-based hydrolysate mixtures has become a trend due to low cost and abundant biomass reserves. Compared to conventional methods of fractionation and recovery of saccharides, nanofiltration (NF) has received considerable attention in recent decades because of its high selectivity and low energy consumption and environmental impact. In this review the advantages and challenges of NF based technology in the separation of saccharides are critically evaluated. Hybrid membrane processes, i.e., combining NF with ultrafiltration, can complement each other to provide an efficient approach for removal of unwanted solutes to obtain higher purity saccharides. However, use of NF membrane separation technology is limited due to irreversible membrane fouling that results in high capital and operating costs. Future development of NF membrane technology should therefore focus on improving material stability, antifouling ability and saccharide targeting selectivity, as well as on engineering aspects such as process optimisation and membrane module design.

The influence of cavitation effects on the purification processes of beet sugar production juices

In the juices of sugar beet, the viscosity of the produced viscosity is determined. They contain sugars and non-sugary compounds. If they are in the form of associated or complex compounds, then when their state changes. Well under the action of external factors or at their removal from a solution it is obligatory. Its rheological properties will also change. Therefore, with the help of determining the viscosity, it is possible to conclude the complex processes that take place in juices under the action of the effects of vapor condensation cavitation, namely: the force between Leculiary bonds, the size of molecules, and the length of chemical bonds, etc. The paper presents studies of the influence of vapor-condensation cavitation effects on the change of such rheological properties of cell and diffusion juice as viscosity and surface tension. The viscosity of the steam-treated juice is affected by complex transformational changes that occur with the associated compounds under the effects of vapor-condensation cavitation, which leads to their destruction and this leads to a decrease in their molecular weight and changes in concentration. Studies have shown that with increasing steam consumption for juice processing in the range of 0 – 1.5% by weight of juice the upper tension increases. Such legitimacy is also an indirect confirmation of the processes of destruction of the association. important compounds of diffusion juice under the influence of the effects of steam condensation cavitation.

Microbial production of value-added bioproducts and enzymes from molasses, a by-product of sugar industry

Molasses is a major by-product of sugar industry and contains 40-60% (w/w) of sugars. The world's annual yield of molasses reaches 55 million tons. Traditionally, molasses is simply discharged or applied to feed production. Additionally, some low-cost and environmentally friendly bioprocesses have been established for microbial production of value-added bioproducts from molasses. Over the last decade and more, increasing numbers of biofuels, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, organic acids, and enzymes have been produced from the molasses through microbial conversion that possess an array of important applications in the industries of food, energy, and pharmaceutical. For better application, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the research status of bioconversion of molasses that has not been elaborated in detail so far. In this review, these value-added bioproducts and enzymes obtained through bioconversion of molasses, their potential applications in food and other industries, as well as the future research focus were generalized and discussed.

The influence of cavitation effects on the purification processes of beet sugar production juices

The existing technology for the purification of diffusion juice and its hardware design has not fundamentally changed over the past four decades. The lack of the necessary theoretical developments and experimental data hinders the development of existing and the development of new technological processes. Therefore, the main direction of improving the purification efficiency of juices of sugar beet production is the disclosure of its unused reserves and their implementation in practice. The scientific problem of choosing the rational direction for improving the technology of juice purification, which ensures the production of consumer granulated sugar in the face of changes in a wide range of quality of raw materials, is relevant and has important economic importance, especially in the context of the transition of beet sugar factories to a market economy. One way to solve it is to make fuller use of the adsorption capacity of calcium carbonate particles while increasing the filtration properties of saturation sediments. Therefore, the study investigates the effect of cavitation effects – vapor condensation and hydrodynamic processing of diffusion juice on the processes of purification of diffusion juice, juices of preliminary defecation, first and second saturations. The analysis of the influence of various effects of cavitation processing of juices from the point of view of improving the purification efficiency, the optimal place of the purification process in the technological scheme of production is established.

Custom-Tailoring Loose Nanofiltration Membrane for Precise Biomolecule Fractionation: New Insight into Post-Treatment Mechanisms

Loose nanofiltration (NF) membranes with diverse selectivity can meet the great demands in various bioseparation applications. Thus, a facile strategy to tune the properties such as pore size, surface charge, and hydrophilicity of the NF membrane is required to produce tailor-made loose NF membranes without changing the existing production line. Herein, we systematically investigated the post-treatment of the nascent poly(piperazine amide) NF membranes using different reagents (organic acids, weak bases, organic solvents and ionic liquid (IL)). Various characterizations revealed that the skin/separation layer became looser and permeance was promoted with the decrease of salt rejection in varying degrees. It was found that the O/N ratio did not rigorously represent the cross-linking degree of the skin layer, because besides the hydrolysis of the residual acyl chloride impeding the amido bond formation, the breaking of existing amido bonds and the grafting of free trimesoyl chloride molecules on the nascent membranes could also increase the O/N ratio during post-treatments. Then three mechanisms including hydrolysis, swelling rearrangement and capping reaction effects were proposed to better understand the membrane properties variations. All these effects resulted in larger pore size of the NF membrane, and the hydrolysis/capping effect might increase negative charge and hydrophilicity on the membrane, while the swelling rearrangement could produce less defective skin structure. These three effects might be involved together during a single treatment. Finally, the NF membrane post-treated by N-hexane could efficiently separate antibiotics and NaCl with the highest permeate flux, whereas the one post-treated by ionic liquid outperformed others for the decoloration of cane molasses (much more efficient than NF270, DL, and NTR7450 membranes). The long-term operating stability of the post-treated membranes selected was also confirmed by a continuous crossflow filtration for 15 h with regular alkaline cleaning.

Succinic acid biosynthesis from cane molasses under low pH by Actinobacillus succinogenes immobilized in luffa sponge matrices

Succinic acid (SA) production by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z using cane molasses as a low cost carbon source was developed. With molasses pretreated by 150 kDa membrane, the highest SA concentration (45.6 g/L), productivity (1.27 g/L·h) and yield (0.76 g SA/g sugars) were obtained under an optimal pH 6.4, which were increased by 1.04 folds compared to those with model sugar mixture due to the effect of vitamins in molasses. Meanwhile, the ratio of sugars in the cane molasses had little effect on SA production. To further enhance SA productivity, the cells were immobilized in luffa sponge matrices (LSM), and repeated batch cultures were carried out for 5 cycles, demonstrating a stable and reliable long-term performance. Compared with the batch culture, the SA productivity enhanced by 49.6% in the LSM system with repeated batch culture. These results suggest that the cell immobilization approach is promising for industrial applications.