Extraction methods for drying oils

Summary The general trend in the industry is toward solvent-extraction recovery and to larger plants. Technological change in recent years has been largely in improved equipment and process improvements to decrease operating costs and improve product quality. It is the author’s opinion that the trend mentioned above and this type of technological change will continue in at least the near future. It is expected that any radical change in processing will come about only by a radical change in raw material or products desired rather than by the development of really new equipment or process methods. One interesting development in recent years is the increasing relative importance of the residue solids compared to the oil in the case of some of the materials. Plants have been built primarily as a source of protein rather than oil in certain cases. It also accounts for the incidence of some small plants in the raw material “fringe” areas contrary to the general trend.     

Innovative technology to meet the demands of the white biotechnology revolution of chemical production

The rapid introduction of bio-production methods in areas where production methods based on fossil fuel raw materials have been dominant for half a century is documented in policy papers by large political organizations as well as in the media.The present review seeks to describe the means by which a technological revolution termed “white biotechnology” for production of commodity chemicals has proved its credibility.Obviously, the rapid advances in biology has been crucial for the development of industrial biotechnology towards a position where even its cheap products such as bio-fuels can compete with fossil fuels, and where new families of intermediates for production of polymers and pharmaceuticals are emerging.An equally important development is that of a model framework for bio-processes by which the physiological processes in living cells can be described accurately by the use of sophisticated models, supported by accurate data obtained in experimental equipment that did not exist a few years ago.The need to update the chemical engineering education to meet the needs of the bio- industry is also evident. Much of the progress of the bio-industry has up to now been based on fundamental understanding of the processes as created by the research of chemical engineers. These professionals will also have a key role to play in future developments if certain measures are taken by universities to update the educational programs. These modifications will in no way be in conflict with the basic concepts of the chemical engineering education, but they will modify some of the traditional teaching methods and will bring attention to topics that for a long time were considered somewhat peripheral to the mainstream of chemical engineering education.     

Solid fuels, their properties, and applications

Future studies in the area of mixed solid fuels for rocket motors are predicted. It is expected the promising fuels will consist of an “active” binder and a high enthalpy oxidant, but will not contain metallic fuel. The energy indices of these fuels ensure an effective specific impulse ≈50 (kg·sec)/kg higher than that of those in use today. Ways of reducing the temperature of the gaseous combustion products of solid fuels to 300–330 K are examined, which will allow these fuels to be used in systems with traditional materials (metal, plastic, rubber, etc.). The prospects for using solid fuels with elevated combustion temperatures are studied, as well as the possibility of using the principles employed in establishing the composition of solid fuels in the synthesis of various materials. Translated fromFizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 30–34, March–April 1999.     

The winged bean as an oil and protein source: A review

Despite high protein contents in its ripe seeds, tubers and fresh leaves (ranging from 29.3–39.0%, 3.0–15.0% and 5.0–7.6% respectively) and the high quality of that protein, the winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) remained an obscure food source until about 10 years ago. Recently, this legume has received increasing attention from scientists because of its potential multiple uses as a food protein source in the humid tropics. This article reviews the utilization and nutrition literature of winged bean published during the last 10 years. The following aspects are covered: classification of winged bean proteins, nutritional properties and antinutritional components of the protein, protein quality, functional properties, and protein-based food products. The oil content of winged bean seeds ranges from 15.0–20.4%, and use of the winged bean as a potential oilseed crop is discussed. Areas of needed research are identified and described. Presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of American Oil Chemists’ Society, Chicago, May 8–12, 1983.     

Comprehensive solution for lining the socle of an electrolyzer with contemporary refractories and heat insulating materials

OAO Borovichi Refractory Plant has developed a number of new forms of product for lining the socle of an electrolyzer for obtaining primary aluminium. Results are provided for research on thermal insulating vermiculite products of the ITOM (integral heat insulation refractory materials) series and barrier materials: dense fired refractory articles BorAluBar, mastic for filling joints BorAluPlast, and dry barrier mixture BorAluMix. Newly developed products will make it possible to propose to aluminum producers a comprehensive solution for lining the electrolyzer cathode with contemporary refractories and thermal insulating materials with a high technical resource. Use of the materials will make it possible to prolong electrolyzer service life by several degrees. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 3, pp. 99–107, March, 2007.     

盘式太阳能蒸馏海水淡化研究进展

综述了近年来盘式太阳能蒸馏器海水淡化技术的研究进展,重点介绍了传统盘式太阳能蒸馏器和双斜面盘式太阳能蒸馏器,以及在此基础上演变出的各种主动式盘式太阳能蒸馏器。认为通过增加外置设备可增大热能利用率,从而有效地增大产水量;新型材料也必将成为今后研究的热点。     

Production and use of vibrocast products from the company “Promresurs”<Superscript>1</Superscript>

An assortment of products made by the young company “Promresurs” for casting steel is presented. It is noted that the products are made with high-quality raw materials, modern technologies, and high-quality equipment. Results are presented from tests of the products at the Nizhniy Tagil Metallurgical Combine.     

The new toilet soaps

Toilet soap bars have undergone few major technical changes in the last century. Noteworthy improvements were floating soap, the development of effective deodorant and antibacterial soaps, the so-called “hard water” bars, and advances in packaging technology. The trends in these areas toward product and process improvement will accelerate in the 1970’s. New raw materials are becoming available which will give greater formulation flexibility, with emphasis towards greater mildness and effectiveness. Among these products are the synthetic fatty acids which could partially replace coconut acids, more effective broad spectrum antibacterial agents for better control of skin microorganisms, and mild detergent additives with good physical properties and less defatting tendency. In processing, the move is toward continuous soap-making equipment in place of the old kettle processes which are still widely used. More powerful and specialized plodders are available; these will facilitate the development of new product types. Presented at the AOCS-AACC 1968 Joint Meeting, Washington, D.C., April 1968.     

Refining of oils and fats

The technique of continuous refining of oils and fats has steadily improved since the first commercial installation some 30 years ago. Refining is the most important economic factor in the overall processing of an oil from the crude to the finished product. Crude oil handling, reagent selection, mixing, heating, and centrifugal separation are all critical when an attempt is made to obtain the maximum refining efficiency. The agronomist, scientist, control laboratory and operating personnel, along with the equipment manufacturers, have all aided in obtaining more efficient and economical processing methods. In a discussion of the over-all refining process, soapstock handling must also be considered. In recent years several successful continuous soapstock acidulation plants have been installed. With this addition to a refinery, the refining operation can now truly be considered as a continuous process. Like most industrial processes, this has been an evolution from the batch system to a semicontinuous system up to the present continuous treatment of soapstock and wash water to produce a high-purity acid oil on an economical basis. Details of the various factors in refining and aeidulation on a commercial basis, along with control methods, are discussed. Presented at the AOCS Short Course, “Processing Quality Control of Fats and Oils,” East Lansing, Mich., Aug. 29–Sept. 1, 1966.     

Chemical health and safety challenges in a new era of enlightenment

Based on the experience of the past 30 years, some trends in chemical health and safety can be expected to continue during the new century. More health and safety information will be collected on specific chemicals; exposure hazard (threshold limit values and permissible exposure limits) and environmental impact databases will be expanded as new research is carried out in these areas. The mission of safety professionals will be to make the job safe for employees, including the elimination of excessive employee exposure to hazardous chemicals. Some ways to accomplish this include increased use of personal protective equipment and more thorough health and safety information on Material Safety Data Sheets. The objective is not to ban use of specific chemicals but to develop procedures to work safely with materials of interest. There will be increasing demands for products and processes involving chemicals and chemical reactions. Where will researchers obtain the necessary health and safety knowledge? Chemical health and safety information must become an integral part of the undergraduate and graduate chemistry curriculum.     

Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy

Conclusions In a single lecture on a subject as big as ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy as applied to fats and oils, the contributions of many, many workers cannot even be mentioned. most of the techniques and much of the mass of useful data which have been accumulated represent contributions from scores of research workers. in this lecture only a few have been cited as examples of what ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy can do—what it is doing for the fat and oil chemist. As one hears more about newer techniques in spectroscopy, infrared absorption, microwave spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, etc., he is likely to think of ultraviolet absorption as an older technique which has probably made its contribution and is now to be relegated to “classical methods.” Nothing could be further from the actual picture today. As newer techniques open up a greater understanding of the chemistry of fats and oils, of their constitution, of the mechanisms of their chemical reactions, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy will be called upon to make on ever-increasing contribution. Newer techniques to obtain pure components, such as improved chromatography, countercurrent distribution separations, etc., will also make greater and greater demands upon the use of ultraviolet absorption spectra. As long as fatty acid chemistry deals with constituents which either contain conjugated unsaturation, or unsaturated linkages which can be conjugated, either accidentally or by design, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy will remain its most valuable tool. One of the laboratories of the Southern Utilization Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.     

Natural oils and fats — Prospects for the 1980s

All fats and oils are more or less interchangeable in varying degrees. Therefore, shortages or surpluses of one type of oil or fat have some effect on the whole supply and demand effect on a freely operating market. The trend in long term for real prices of soapmaking fats and oils is down — because it is projected that supplies are likely to increase faster than global demand. Inflation rates affecting production costs of soybean and palm oils are not expected to be large but probably the most important of any of the fats. The price of coconut oil, as an example, was relatively stable until ca. 4 years ago — 5 years ago it was $200/ton, 3% years ago it was $1,400/ton, 6 months ago it was $700/ton, and now (August 1977) it is $470/ton. It is projected, for example, that it will be at a level of $750/ton in 1990.     

Soybean products for feeding infants,children and adults under nutritional stress

This review points out the good quality of well-processed soya products. Normal infants, children and adults are able to utilize the protein and other nutrients present in the soya, when fed these products in amounts that will cover their needs. Under nutritional stress, such as in infant malnutrition, soya products such as soya-milk have been shown to help in the children’s recovery. Clinical and biochemical data show that their recovery is similar to that obtained with cow’s milk. Milk- or lactose-intolerant children and adults, who present a public health problem in some developing countries, could benefit from the high nutritive value and low cost of soy milk. Soya products have been shown to decrease cholesterol and other levels of blood lipids. Considering the availability of the several soya products in the market, this possibility has to be further explored. The utilization of soya products in preparing liquid formulas for oral or tube-feeding opens new fields for the treatment of several diseases, insuring at the same time adequate nutrition for the patients. From a practical point of view, in spite of all that is known about soybeans and soybean products, its use as human food, even in countries where it is produced in large quantities, is very low. It seems that local governments are not aware of the importance of soya for the solution to their serious food and nutrition problems. What is known on the subject has to leave the laboratories, research centers and universities and be transferred as food for the mouths of the needy populations. This has to be understood as an urgent duty of national governments. There is no doubt that soya is the cheapest and one of the best-quality foods available to help solve the present hunger problem of the world today.     

Fragen der Lärmminderung in der chemischen Industrie (Geräuschsituation innerhalb und außerhalb der Werke)

Questions of noise reduction in the chemical industry (noise levels inside and outside industrial sites) . In the chemical industry there are hardly any noise problems as far as working conditions are concerned. However, certain difficulties are to be expected in the neighbourhood of chemical plant. Open-air plants require special nosie reduction measures at many individual noise sources. Safety aspects must have priority. The increased demands necessitate inclusion of piping and equipment in acoustic planning. There should be adequate transition zones separating industrial and residential areas, but owing to lack of town planning desirable screening distances hardly exist. New plants can now be built with noise levels some 7 to 10 dB (A), in certain cases even more than 10 dB (A), lower than ten years ago.     

Fish meal and oil: Current uses

World landings of fish and shellfish are approaching 100 million metric tons (MMT) annually. Of this total, around 28% is processed into fish meal and oil. Economic pressures due to poor landings, low prices in traditional markets and high fuel costs have forced the industry to seek new markets and products that can take advantage of the unique properties of fish proteins and oils. Fish meal processing continues to evolve. Fresh raw materials and new, low-temperature processing techniques lead to products with excellent nutritional value. These new, special meals are finding uses in feeding farmed fish, early-weaned pigs, ruminants and pets. Fish oils, whether present as fat in the fish meal or as separated oil, are rich in ω3 fatty acids. When fed to food animals, these ω3 fatty acids deposit in the meat and depot fat. Concepts for poultry with an equivalent amount of ω3 fatty acids to lean fish are being developed. Eggs with a high ω3 fatty acid content and good functionality and flavor are under evaluation. Catfish with shelf-stable flavors and high ω3 fatty acids are also under study. ω3 Fatty acids may affect the immune function of livestock. Future research will evaluate the overall immune function of animals, including resistance to disease, survival under stress and hatchability.     

High-temperature heat-insulating materials and products of the Morgan Thermal Ceramics Sukhoi Log joint venture

The author describes the activities of the Sukhologki Refractory Works, whose purpose is to increase its sales of competitive products, expand the product range of high-temperature materials, introduce innovative technologies, establish mutually beneficial relations with customers, develop new kinds of highly refractory heat-insulating fibrous materials and products, expand the list of dense and heat-insulating refractory concretes. The joint venture of the Sukholozhskii Refractory Works and the Thermal Ceramics will enable the company to take a better position and become the leader among the Russian producers of heat-insulated materials and products. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 7, pp. 28–31, July, 2007.     

HCBS ceramic concretes in the XXI century — problems and prospects for applying technology in the field of silicate materials science. Part 1

In the technology of a number of ceramic and refractory materials, prepared on the basis of highly concentrated ceramic binder suspensions (HCBS), elements of effective nanotechnology were realized even before the present “nanoboom.” The concept has been formulated of an advance in materials technology based on HCBS both in traditional fields of their application, and in the field of structural materials science, within which for industrial introduction of existing developments it is necessary to create contemporary equipment formulation for production processes.     

SHS-rolling in a vacuum — an effective method for preparing cermet and intermetallic materials

Results are presented for experiments in studying SHS-rolling realized under conditions of rolling in a vacuum. The starting materials used are powder mixtures of the systems Ti-C, Ti-Al, Ti-C-N-Ni. Optimum heat treatment regimes and compaction of the starting mixtures are determined and parameters are studied for combustion and subsequent plastic deformation in a vacuum, test specimens are prepared in the form of strips of TiC and TiAl and a hard alloy based on TiC and TiN with porosity from 3 to 65%. The new method will make it possible to prepare articles made of synthetic hard materials in the form of strip, sheets, bars and other metallurgical products. __________ Translated from Novye Ogneupory, No. 10, pp. 42–44, October 2007. Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis.     

Challenges to a mature industry: Marketing and economics of oleochemicals in the United States

Fatty acids, accounting for more than half of oleochemicals discussed, grew at an annual rate of ca. 3% during the 1970s, with no growth since 1979. As competition intensified, the number of companies in the industry declined or owenrship changed. Challenges are covered under five major headings—markets, raw materials, competition, research and profitability. Oleochemical markets are extremely diverse but usually involve surface modification. Fatty acid disposition and real consumer personal income correlate closely. Growth of consumer income in the 1980s will be the most important factor in determining growth of fatty chemicals. Fatty chemicals compete with petroleum-derived products; and, therefore, price relationship of natural fats versus petroleum will affect market share. Tallow and other natural fats and oils are approximately the same price as 15 years ago, whereas ethylene has about doubled. Interchangeability of natural fats tends to moderate price fluctuations. Competition remains intense with market shares divided among many companies. Neither imports nor exports have played a significant role in the US fatty chemical industry. There are large exports of fatty acid derivatives, particularly to South America. Research will concentrate on energy reduction as oleochemical production is highly energy-intensive. Enzymatic splitting is a potential commercial process for this purpose. Improved hydrogenation catalysts and development of new specialty oilseeds are additional research objectives. Success of researchers will probably play the biggest role of all in future marketing and economics of fatty chemical companies. The belief is that the fatty chemical industry has had difficulty in consistently maintaining acceptable levels of profitability. To avoid extinction and achieve reasonable rates of return, business strategies must (a) identify, create and exploit growth segments; (b) emphasize product quality and innovative product improvement; and (c) systematically improve production and distribution efficiencies.     

Polypropylene fibers and threads on the world and Russian markets

In 2009 polypropylene (PP) fibers comprised 8.2% of all textile raw material produced worldwide, which constituted 5.8 · 10⁶ t. Western Europe, USA, and China were the leading PP fiber manufacturers. Spandex and meltblown production is growing most rapidly; in 2010 they comprised 37.3% of all raw material used for nonwoven materials. By 2015 this fraction will exceed 40%, even 60% considering that this material is used in fiber form. In Russia PP based spanbond production is growing just as rapidly. It is estimated that by 2011 the total capacity of 13 manufacturers of this material will be slightly below 70000 t/yr. The leading producers are Polimatiz JSC (Alabuga), Orton JSC (Kemerovo), Khimvolokno JSC (Shchekino), and others. Unfortunately, unique equipment having no analogs either in Russia or Europe for producing PP spanbond for geotextiles has been lying as a dead weight at Poliéf JSC (Bashkortostan) for more than 20 years.