Processing of crop biomass to value-added products using sub/super-critical water and supercritical CO2

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Sub/super-critical fluid technology involves the use of water and carbon dioxide (CO2) at temperature and pressure conditions below or above its critical point, eliminating the use of petroleum-based organic solvents in the processing of crop biomass. Use of water and CO2 under such conditions leads to the development of novel "green" technologies, such as the extraction of health-benefiting bioactive compounds from crop biomass that can be used as ingredients in functional foods, reactions of cellulosic materials to convert them to high-value ingredients/products and future formation of micro/nano-particles as delivery systems for these bioactive compounds. The use of sub/super-critical water in extraction processes is scarce as well as its use as a reaction media. The applicant's research area has focused on the use of supercritical fluid technology, solubility behavior, extraction of nutraceuticals and modeling/simulation. Future work would therefore continue to build on this expertise and would focus on further processing development in sub/super-critical water. The main goal of my research program is to add value to Canadian crop biomass based on novel sub/super-critical fluid technology development. The specific objectives are to: i) understand the solubility behavior of bioactive compounds in sub/super-critical water, ii) investigate the effect of process parameters in order to design, develop and optimize extraction, iii) study the kinetics and reaction mechanisms of targeted conversion of components of crop biomass in sub/super-critical water, iv) evaluate the advantages of combining extraction and reactions under supercritical media, and v) model/simulate sub/super-critical extraction processes. The requested funding is critical to undertake this research program and to train highly qualified personnel. Student training is a top priority to fulfill food industry needs in Canada in the field of rapidly growing sub/super-critical fluid technology. This research program will also allow me to enhance national and international collaborations and attract visiting students and scientists.