Integrated process for recovering food protein, nutraceuticals and renewable fuel from Canadian oil seeds

平衡农作物作为食物或燃料的使用是一项伦理和经济挑战。生物燃料产量的增加导致粮食价格急剧上涨，进一步加剧了发展中国家的贫困。加拿大有能力同时增加粮食和可再生燃料的生产。我的研究计划专注于开发新技术，将加拿大油籽作物加工成食品、燃料和营养食品。*传统的己烷提油面临压力，因为己烷是高度易燃的主要空气污染物。水相萃取过程一直不成功，因为大多数石油最终形成了一种难处理的油/水乳状液。将其转化为生物柴油是可能的，但传统的生物柴油对燃料生产商来说是一种滋扰，因为它只能低水平地并入石油柴油中。*加拿大是油菜籽和芥末的最大出口国。他们的油由甘油三酯组成，可以被水解释放三个脂肪酸分子，包括一个碳氢链，典型的石油柴油和一个羧酸基。它们的脱羧基--酸基的去除--将产生“绿色柴油”。*植物油在溶剂中的脱羧基已被证明，它符合炼油厂对柴油进行脱硫的正常实践。我们最近已经证明了直接脱羧化水乳剂中的油是可能的。*我建议开发一种综合工艺，用于从黄芥菜和东方芥菜、十字花菜、山茶花和大麻中回收食品级蛋白质产品和燃料级可再生柴油。这一过程将利用我们成熟的膜过程的改编，将蛋白质恢复为可食用的蛋白质分离和粘合剂。在高压催化过程中，油乳状液将通过直接脱碳转化为绿色柴油。废水将经过纳滤处理，以回收有价值的次要成分。*这一过程的关键是从乳状液中有效地分离蛋白质水提取物，以及将乳状液催化转化为碳氢化合物的挑战。因此，大部分工作将集中于通过改进催化剂和反应条件来开发相分离和直接脱羧化工艺。*如果成功，该工艺将鼓励在不太适合种植油菜籽的地区生产芥菜和油菜籽，从而通过在不减少粮食产量的情况下生产可持续的绿色燃料，提高草原干旱地区的农业产量。这一过程可以为加拿大农业贡献高达10亿美元的资金，并有助于芥末21世纪实现每年5亿美元的芥末产业目标。*这项拟议计划的关键组成部分是培养高素质的专业人员。利用奖学金来源，这项拟议的工作将培训大约15名来自加拿大、法国和发展中国家的研究生食品工程师。

Balancing the use of crops for food or fuel is an ethical and economic challenge. Increased biofuel production led to a sharp rise in food prices, further impoverishing the poor in developing countries. Canada is in a position to simultaneously increase the production of food and renewable fuels. My research program focuses on the development of novel technologies for value-added processing of Canadian oilseed crops into food, fuel and nutraceuticals.***Conventional hexane extraction of oil is under pressure, as hexane is highly flammable, major air pollutant. Aqueous extraction processes have been unsuccessful, as most of the oil ends up as an intractable oil/water emulsion. Its conversion to biodiesel is possible, but conventional biodiesel is a nuisance for fuel producers, as it can only be incorporated into petro-diesel at low levels.***Canada is the largest exporter of canola and mustard. Their oil consist of triglycerides, that can be hydrolyzed to release three fatty acid molecules, consisting of a hydrocarbon chain, typical of petro-diesel fuel, and a carboxylic acid group. Their decarboxylation-removal of the acid group-will result in “green diesel”.***Decarboxylation of vegetable oils in solvent has been demonstrated, and it fits into normal refinery practice for desulphurization of diesel fuel. We have recently demonstrated that it is possible to directly decarboxylate the oil in the aqueous emulsion.***I propose to develop an integrated process for the recovery of food grade protein products and fuel grade renewable diesel from yellow and oriental mustard, brassica carinata, camelina, and hemp based on aqueous extraction. The process will recover the proteins as edible protein isolates and binders, using an adaptation of our proven membrane process. The oil emulsion will be converted to green diesel by direct decarboxylation in a high-pressure catalytic process. The waste water will be treated by nanofiltration, to recover valuable minor components. ***Key to the process is the effective separation of the aqueous protein extract from the emulsion, and the challenge of catalytic conversion of the emulsion to hydrocarbons. Therefore, much of the work will be focused on developing phase separations and the direct decarboxylation process by improving the catalysts and the reaction conditions.***If successful, the process will encourage the production of mustard and brassica carinata in areas that are not well suited to the growing of canola, and thus improve the agricultural yield of the dry areas of the Prairies, by producing sustainable green fuel without reducing food production. The process could contribute up to a billion dollars to Canadian agriculture, and help the Mustard 21 goal of a $500 million/a mustard industry.***A key component of this proposed program is educating highly qualified professionals. Leveraging scholarship sources, the proposed work will train some 15 graduate food engineers from Canada, France and developing countries.**