PHYSICAL CHANGES OF TILAPIA FISH BURGER DURING FROZEN STORAGE

The effects of frozen storage on weight loss during freezing, cooking yield, dimensional changes, and instrumental texture parameters of tilapia fish burger were evaluated during 6 months. Frozen storage for 1 month significantly increased the fish burger shear force, hardness and thickness reduction. Weight loss during freezing (0.6 ± 0.1 %) did not increase with storage time. There was no hardness (29.9 ± 0.7 N) and shear force (5.5 ± 0.2 N) increase during the frozen storage from 1 to 6 months. Tilapia fish burger can be stored for up to 6 months with minor physical changes

ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM KIWIFRUIT (Actinidia Deliciosa) SEEDS

This study reports experimental kinetic data and modeling for the extraction of oil from kiwifruit seeds by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with ethanol. The fatty acid profile, tocopherol and total lipids content in the oil obtained were determined. The variables temperature and ultrasonic power were investigated based on the oil extraction yields using a central composite experimental design. The overall yields obtained were compared to conventional Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane and with ethanol. The extractions presented high extraction rates with overall yield ranged between 19 and 33%, and the extraction yields increased with the temperature. The fatty acid profile showed a high content of omega-3 fatty acids (63.20%) and the Vitamin E content was 14.97 ± 0.38 mg/100 g oil, with ɤ-tocopherol constituting 49% of the total tocopherol. A second-order kinetic model was applied to describe the ultrasound extraction process under different conditions. The numerical results were compared with the experimental extraction yields and presented a good correlation. The extraction technique investigated was found to be suitable for extraction of oil from kiwifruit seeds, in which the great potential of kiwifruit oil obtained from UAE was demonstrate

Analysis of Syngas Production from Catalytic Biogas Reforming and Upgrading

The development of alternative and sustainable technologies for the production of liquid biofuels has gained ground worldwide. Biogas is one of the most potential feedstocks to be used and the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) route is one of the most studied processes for the production of these liquid biofuels. In this work, different processes for the conversion of biogas to syngas by catalytic reforming were studied, in order to evaluate the better route to obtain the syngas and its usage as feedstock in FT synthesis. Two steps were analyzed using Aspen Plus V12.1®: 1) biogas upgrading; and 2) catalytic reforming process. Dry reforming (DR) and Bi reforming (BR) were selected for the reforming process assessment. CH4 and CO2 conversions were selected to evaluate the process performance. Results showed that water scrubbing is a better route to perform biogas upgrading, based on the H2S final content and the CH4 recovery. Besides, for the biogas reforming process, all scenarios presented an increase in conversions when the temperature was increased. For bi reforming, which uses biogas and water steam as reactants, a decrease in the molar fraction of H2O contributed to higher CO2 conversion. The BR process with a molar ratio of CH4, CO2, and H2O at 3:2:1, respectively, at elevated temperatures and pressure of 0.1 MPa, showed the most promising combination of results for syngas production, considering environmental and operational factors. The CH4 and CO2 conversions obtained in 900 °C were 96.45% and 98.06%, respectively

Assessment of CO2 Conversion in a Biorefinery Concept: a Biomethane Plant Case Study

One of the main challenges imposed by the climate crisis is to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions while keeping high levels of social and economic development. Therefore, the deployment of process alternatives that use residues as raw materials and integrate the conversion of by-products in added value products of interest is mandatory and integrated biorefineries play a major role in this context. In this work, thermodynamic analyses were performed to assess the conversion of a residual CO2 stream captured from the flue gases of a biomethane-based thermal power plant into syngas or methane. Results showed that the syngas production from CO2 is favored at high temperatures (>700 °C), low pressures (1 bar) and low H2/CO2 ratios (e.g. 1). Conversely, methane formation is favored at lower temperatures and higher H2/CO2 ratios. Simulations were also carried out considering the conversion of an off-gas stream from a biomethane plant, with different concentrations of CH4. Considering the syngas formation, the presence of CH4 in the feed stream enhances the CO2 conversion and increases the production of CO and H2 (desired products), while decreasing H2O formation (unwanted side product), possibly due to the simultaneous occurrence of the methane bi-reforming, RWGS and methanation reactions. Therefore, from the thermodynamic point of view, the use of the off-gas from a biomethane plant for syngas production could be a potential alternative for the destination of this residual stream, converting it into interesting chemical platforms and intermediates for fuels and chemicals production

Sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics: consumer, products, efficacy, toxicological and regulatory considerations

The interest in sustainable products has increased along the years, since the choice of products, packaging and production processes have a great impact on the environment. These products are classified by regulatory agencies in different categories, aggregating advantages to the product and increasing the demand by consumers. However, there is no harmonization in guidelines of these certifying agencies and each cosmetic industry formulates their product and packaging in a more rational way, which causes less damage to the environment. Many cosmetic products have in their formulation natural products that perform a specific biological function, but these products should be evaluated on efficacy and toxicological aspects. The aim of this article is to approach sustainability, natural and organic cosmetics, considering the consumer and the efficacy, toxicological and regulatory aspects