Optimization of the ultrasound-assisted extraction process of aspartic acid from molasses and its anti-scaling capability in sugar industry evaporators

Subject Areas : food science

Morassa Mokhtarian ¹ , M. Honarvar ² , maryam mizani ³ , M. Ghavami ⁴

1 - Department of Food Science and Technology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor of the College of Food Science and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IRAN
4 - Professor of the College of Food Science and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2023-11-17 Accepted : 2024-04-23 Published : 2024-06-05

Keywords: Aspartic acid, Ultrasound-assisted extraction, Optimization, Molasses, Green antiscaling,

Abstract :

This study aimed to optimize the extraction of aspartic acid from sugar beet molasses using an ultrasound-assisted extraction method and its use as a green antiscaling agent in the evaporator tubes of the sugar industry. The results of ultrasound-assisted extraction showed that the linear model is the best model to describe the behavior of aspartic acid extraction. It was determined that the optimal conditions for extracting aspartic acid using the ultrasound-assisted method include an extraction temperature of 25.09 °C, pH equal to 7, ultrasound power of 69.99%, and no ethanol. Aspartic acid extracted under optimal conditions with three different concentrations (10, 25, and 50 mg/100g) at three various temperatures (60, 90, and 120 °C) was applied to the scales of the evaporator tubes of the sugar industry. The results showed that the highest anti-scaling efficiency for all three processes was related to the treatment performed at 90 °C with a concentration of 50 mg/100 g. FESEM images showed that with increasing temperature up to 90 °C and increasing concentration up to 50 mg/100g, the scales formed on the evaporator tube changed from crystalline and uniform state to porous with fine particles. The results of EDS showed that by increasing the temperature to 90 °C and increasing the concentration to 50 mg/100g, the calcium and silica content in the scales of the evaporator tubes decreases. The results of FTIR showed that by applying aspartic acid as an antiscaling of stable crystals, the scales become smaller and more unstable crystals.