Microalgae-containing composite GEL and microalgae-containing composite GEL manufacturing method

Abstract

In particular, the invention relates to a microalgae-containing composite gel suitable for use in packaging for the preservation of sensitive materials, in particular food, which improves the biodegradability, which determines the rate of biodegradation, and the waterproofing properties, which determine the liquid insulation efficiency, as well as preventing photometric effects and reducing light transmission by not degrading under light, and to a production method for obtaining this gel.

Description

[0001]DESCRIPTION MICROALGAE-CONTAINING COMPOSITE GEL AND MICROALGAE-CONTAINING COMPOSITE GEL MANUFACTURING METHOD 5 Technical Field The invention relates to a microalgae-containing composite gel and a production method for 10 enhancing biodegradability and water repellency and preventing photometric effects. In particular, the invention relates to a microalgae-containing composite gel suitable for use in packaging for the preservation of sensitive materials, in particular food, which improves the biodegradability, which determines the rate of biodegradation, and the waterproofing properties, 15 which determine the liquid insulation efficiency, as well as preventing photometric effects and reducing light transmission by not degrading under light, and to a production method for obtaining this gel. State of the Art 20 Packaging materials that prevent liquid and gas transmission are generally used to package sensitive materials, such as food materials, which need to be stored protected against external influences and to prevent contamination. These sensitive materials also degrade under light and their structures deteriorate over time. For this reason, there is a need to protect the packaged 25 material from the effects of light while reducing liquid and gas transmission. Packaging materials in film form, which are generally obtained by using alcohol, glycerol, polyols, oligosaccharides, lignans, saturated / unsaturated carboxylic acids and their derivatives, salts, coumarins, sulfonic acids, amino acids, urea, ionic liquids, eutectic solvents and / or polymers, are used for packaging and protecting sensitive materials such as food. However, while the use of these packaging 30 materials in contact with food causes various health hazards, these packaging materials are very difficult to biodegrade after use and remain undegraded for years, causing significant environmental pollution. Also, the components used in the packaging materials in question are generally difficult to access and high-cost components, and the total production time and costs of the packaging material are quite high. Besides, it is not possible to reshape existing packaging 35 materials after production and use. Therefore, this situation causes an increase in both cost and environmental pollution, as they are mostly thrown away after use. In a state-of-the-art patent document numbered WO2016058096A1, a biodegradable bioactive film product and a process for producing this product are described. The manufacturing process consists of isolating the polyhydroxyalkanoate from a bacterial culture, optionally bleaching the polyhydroxyalkanoate, dispersing the polyhydroxyalkanoate in a surfactant solution to form a 5 dispersion, drying the dispersion to obtain dried polyhydroxyalkanoate particles, the steps of mixing the polyhydroxyalkanoate with at least one bioactive compound or organism, at least one nucleating agent, at least one filler, at least one plasticizer and at least one impact modifying agent or fiber to form a mixture, extruding the mixture into a film and winding the film on a reel. The document describes a hydrogel formulation that can be used to encapsulate pesticides, 10 herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fumigants, repellents, rodenticides, fertilizers, nutrients, sugars, carbohydrates, adenosine triphosphate, adenosine triphosphate, microorganisms, growth regulators and hormones around a seed and mentions that various materials such as alginate, carrageenan and locust bean gum can be used to form the gel. The document does not mention a solution for the production of a microalgae-containing composite gel, which, in addition to 15 increasing the biodegradability and water repellency properties, avoids photometric effects without the use of any additional additives. Another prior art patent document numbered US20230132519A1 describes a system and method for the extraction of consumer, animal and industrial end products from algal biomass. The 20 method in question includes environmentally friendly process steps and components for the selective extraction and fractionation of algae products. These components include lipids, proteins, antioxidants synthesized by algae or the use of these compounds in further biochemical processes for the synthesis of product compounds such as ethanol or biopolymers. The document also covers the method for recovering algal residual biomass (ARB), packaging it and transferring 25 it to the deep sea for carbon storage. The extraction method uses Chlorella Vulgaris as a microalgae species and one method uses agar and carrageenan to extract using alkaline treatment, microwave-assisted extraction and sound-assisted extraction, among other techniques. The document does not mention a solution for the production of a microalgae- containing composite gel, which, in addition to increasing the biodegradability and water 30 repellency properties, avoids photometric effects without the use of any additional additives. As a result, there is a need for the development of a microalgae-containing composite gel and a production method for obtaining this gel, especially for the packaging and storage of sensitive materials such as foods, without the use of any additional additives and / or chemical materials, 35 which improves biodegradability and waterproofing properties, as well as preventing photometric effects and reducing light transmission. Purpose of the Invention The present invention relates to a microalgae-containing composite gel and a method of producing a microalgae-containing composite gel, which fulfills the above-mentioned 5 requirements, eliminates possible disadvantages and provides some additional advantages. The main purpose of the microalgae-containing composite gel and production method subject to the invention is to obtain a microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method that provides prevention of photometric effects and reduction 10 of light transmission while increasing biodegradability and waterproof properties without the use of any additional additives and / or chemical materials. Another object of the invention is to provide a microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method, which is particularly suitable for use in 15 packaging and packaging and which provides effective preservation and storage of sensitive materials such as food, and prevention of contamination and light-induced deterioration effects. Another aim of the invention is to obtain a functional microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method, which is composed entirely of organic 20 materials, which quickly and harmlessly disappears in nature, reducing environmental pollution and carbon emissions. Another aim of the invention is to obtain a practical and useful microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method that does not require the use 25 of extrusion process, pressing and extruder, and is suitable for reforming after production. Another aim of the invention is to obtain an efficient microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method that reduces production and usage costs and extends the shelf life of the packaged product. 30 An alternative aim of the invention is to obtain a microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method that prevents granulation and provides a homogeneous distributed gel. 35 Another object of the invention is to produce alcohol, glycerol, polyols, oligosaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignans, saturated / unsaturated carboxylic acids and their derivatives; salts other than sodium chloride, coumarins, sulfonic acids, amino acids, urea, ionic liquids and eutectic solvents, ionic liquids and eutectic solvents, a practical and effective microalgae-containing composite gel and microalgae-containing composite gel production method that can be produced without the use of agar and polymer, reducing the production process and facilitating the supply of raw materials. 5 The other object of the invention is to provide a functional microalgae-containing composite gel and a microalgae-containing composite gel production method, which can be reformed by heat effect and suitable for production as a film. 10 In order to achieve the above objectives in the most general form, the packaging contains a composite gel with microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris and kappa carrageenan; sodium chloride; distilled water, without any additional additives and chemical materials, which allows to increase biodegradability and liquid insulation properties, prevent photometric effects and reduce light transmission. 15 The microalgae-containing composite gel production method, which enables the production of the microalgae-containing composite gel developed with the present invention, includes the steps of mixing Chlorella vulgaris, kappa carrageenan, sodium chloride and distilled water; heating the mixture to a temperature of 70-850C; cooling the heated mixture to room temperature and 20 obtaining the gel form. The structural and characteristic features and all advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood by means of the figures given below and the detailed description written by making references to these figures, and therefore, the evaluation should be made by considering these 25 figures and detailed description. Detailed Description of the Invention 30 In this detailed description, the inventive microalgae-containing composite gel and the preferred embodiments of the microalgae-containing composite gel production method are described only for a better understanding of the subject matter and in a non-limiting manner. A microalgae-containing composite gel developed with the present invention, which is suitable for 35 use in packaging, storage and / or preservation and which can be reformed with the effect of heat, which does not contain any additional additives and chemical materials, which increases biodegradability and liquid insulation properties, prevents photometric effects and reduces light transmission, Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella vulgaris) and kappa carrageenan (k-Carregeenan) to achieve biodegradability, water and light resistance and prevent granulation formation, sodium chloride (NaCL) to tighten the gel form, distilled water to bring the powdered materials into gel form. 5 In an exemplary embodiment of the microalgae-containing composite gel developed with the present invention, the gel obtained thanks to the composition of Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella vulgaris) and kappa carrageenan (k-Carregeenan) in the microalgae-containing composite gel has the ability to dissolve quickly in nature and is also waterproof and also remains intact under light, preventing photometric effects while reducing light transmittance. The combination of 10 Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella vulgaris) and kappa carrageenan (k-Carregeenan) also prevents the formation of granulation in the resulting gel. Distilled water added to the mixture turns the mixture in powder form into gel form, and sodium chloride (NaCL) helps tighten the gel form and preserve it. 15 The method of producing the microalgae-containing composite gel developed with the present invention, which enables the microalgae-containing composite gel to be obtained without the need for extrusion, is to mix Chlorella vulgaris, kappa carrageenan, sodium chloride and distilled water in a container, preferably by means of a magnetic stirrer, The steps include heating the prepared homogeneous mixture to 70-850C preferably for 1 hour and obtaining it in sol-gel form, cooling 20 the heated mixture to 20-250C (room temperature) preferably for 4-6 minutes and obtaining the gel form. In an exemplary application of the microalgae-containing composite gel production method developed with the present invention, 0.04-0.08 grams of Chlorella vulgaris, 0.22-0.26 grams of 25 k-carrageenan, 0.2-0.4 grams of NaCl, 4-6 milliliters of distilled water are placed in a beaker and mixed with the help of a magnetic stirrer to ensure a homogeneous mixture and the beaker is placed on the heater and heated from 20°C to 70-85°C for 1 hour. After the heating process, the mixture is allowed to cool at room temperature for 4-6 minutes to ensure physical gelation. 30 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the microalgae-containing composite gel production method comprises the steps of heating the obtained gel for 1 hour until it reaches a temperature of 70-85°C, pouring the sol-gel obtained after heating onto a mold and cooling it to 20-25oC (room temperature) to obtain the film form. 35 When the gel sample with the best physical properties was obtained, a film formation experiment was performed to be used in photometric analysis. At this stage, the best gel sample was heated on a heater from 20°C to 80°C for 1 hour, poured into a square mold and cooled to turn into a film. In order to determine whether the gel sample with the best physical properties can be used 5 chemically in applications in the packaging industry, photometric analyzes are performed for the heating and cooling processes using a spectrophotometer. For these analyses, the sample with the best gelation is poured into a quartz cuvette and placed in the water bath in the spectrophotometer. Plastic and copper pipes connected to the water bath are positioned in a separate water bath above the heater to change the water temperature. A thermometer is used 10 to control the temperature and a 12V motor is used to circulate the water inside the pipes. Thus, photometric analyzes are performed for the heating (20°C to 80°C) and cooling (80°C to 20°C) stages. Heating and cooling experiments enable data to be collected about the transition between gel-sol and sol-gel. Absorbance, transmittance, Arrhenius graphs, IR and UV graphs of the best sample are extracted and it is determined that the sample shows chemical gelation properties 15 and does not have photometric properties. Table 1. Graphs showing, for example, absorbance, transmittance and Arrhenius values of microalgae-containing composite gel Table 2. Graph showing IR transmission / permeability of microalgae-containing composite gel 5 Table 3. Graph showing UV transmission / permeability values of microalgae-containing composite gel under different lights Table 4. Graph showing UV absorption values of microalgae-containing composite gel under different lights 5 Biodegradability tests are performed to examine the solubility time of the sample in nature, which provides the best conditions in terms of physical and chemical aspects. The best sample is buried in beakers filled with soil of different weights, and daily and weekly observations are made to 10 observe how long it takes to completely dissolve in nature. Table 5. Table showing the weekly biodegradability rates of gel with different weights (Example 15 1: 48.13875g, Example 2: 39.52681g) Table 6. Table showing the daily biodegradability rates of gel with different weights (Example 3: 42.15196g, Example 4: 42.5403g) 5 Table 7. Table showing daily and weekly biodegradability rates of gel with different weights (Example 5: 64.16174g) In addition to its biodegradability feature, by giving the same sample a glass-shaped form and 10 pouring water into it, it is recorded how long the material remains waterproof without containing any preservatives. Thanks to the microalgae-containing composite gel and microalgae-containing composite gel production method developed with the present invention, biodegradability and waterproofing 15 properties can be improved without the need for any additional additives and chemical materials and extrusion process, especially for the packaging and storage of sensitive materials such as foods. At the same time, an efficient, effective, practical and functional microalgae-containing composite gel and a production method to obtain this gel are obtained, which prevents photometric effects and granulation, reduces light transmission / permeability, reduces production 20 process and cost, and facilitates raw material supply.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A microalgae-containing composite gel which is suitable for packaging, storage and / or preservation and can be reshaped by heat effect, increases biodegradability and liquid 5 insulation properties, prevents photometric effects and reduces light transmission without comprising any additional additives and chemical materials, characterized in that; - chlorella vulgaris and kappa carrageenan composition, which provides biodegradability, water and light impermeability and prevents granulation formation, - sodium chloride, which provides firming of the gel form, - distilled water, which enables the materials in powder form to be turned into gel form.

2. A microalgae-containing composite gel according to Claim 1, wherein the composite gel contains 0.04-0.08 grams of Chlorella vulgaris.

3. A microalgae-containing composite gel according to Claim 1, wherein the composite gel contains 0.22-0.26 grams of k-carrageenan.

4. A microalgae-containing composite gel according to Claim 1, wherein the composite gel contains 0.2-0.4 grams of NaCl. . A microalgae-containing composite gel according to Claim 1, wherein the composite gel contains 4-6 milliliters of distilled water.

6. A method of producing a microalgae-containing composite gel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the microalgae-containing composite gel is obtained without the need for an extrusion process, characterized in that; - mixing chlorella vulgaris, kappa carrageenan, sodium chloride and distilled water in a container, - heating the prepared homogeneous mixture to 70-850C and obtaining it in sol-gel form, - obtaining the gel form by cooling the heated mixture until it reaches a temperature of 20-25oC.

7. A method according to Claim 6, wherein mixing chlorella vulgaris, kappa carrageenan, sodium chloride and distilled water by means of a magnetic stirrer.

8. A method according to Claim 6, wherein heating the prepared homogeneous mixture for 1 5 hour.

9. A method according to Claim 6, wherein cooling the heated mixture for 4-6 minutes.

10. A method according to Claim 6, comprising the further steps of heating the resulting gel again for 1 hour until it reaches a temperature of 70-85°C; pouring the sol-gel obtained after heating onto a mold and cooling it to a temperature of 20-25oC to obtain a film form.

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