Bio-based Thermoplastic Extraction from Corn Zein Residues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing thermoplastic materials from corn zein or corn gluten are not economically feasible due to reliance on food crops and costly purified zein, and require the removal of oil and color pigments, making them unsuitable for large-scale production of injection molding or film coatings.
Innovation Solution
A process involving mixing biomass containing prolamins with an organic solvent, extracting solvent-soluble components, and recovering thermoplastic material, which maintains the natural structure and properties of the biomass, reducing the need for additives and enabling the production of bio-based, biodegradable thermoplastics suitable for injection molding and coatings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If purified zein is used as starting material, then film flexibility and processability are improved, but production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the necessary components (prolamins and lipids) from agricultural residues using selective solvents, rather than starting with fully purified zein. This extraction approach obtains sufficient prolamin for film formation without the costly multiple purification steps required by conventional methods, thereby reducing production cost while maintaining film flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the natural lipids already present in agricultural residues as plasticizers, eliminating the need to add external plasticizers. The prolamins and lipids in the biomass work together naturally to provide film-forming properties and flexibility, reducing both material cost and processing complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple extraction steps with high concentration ethanol are used, then prolamin purity is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the solvent parameters by using aqueous ethanol at moderate concentrations (50-80%) rather than high concentrations (75-100%). This parameter change achieves sufficient prolamin extraction and purification in fewer steps, reducing processing time while obtaining adequate purity for thermoplastic applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements a continuous extraction process where solvent-soluble components are extracted in a single or few continuous steps, followed by direct precipitation and drying. This continuous approach eliminates the multiple batch extraction and purification steps of conventional methods, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining effective prolamin recovery.
3Manufacturing precision
If oil and color pigments are removed through extensive purification, then material quality is improved, but production cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies partial purification by removing only the essential contaminants (excessive oil and color pigments) that interfere with thermoplastic processing, rather than achieving complete purification. This partial action approach obtains sufficient material quality for injection molding and film formation without the complex multi-step purification required by conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention accepts that the prolamin-lipid complex may not be perfectly pure but is sufficiently pure for its intended short-term application in thermoplastic processing. The material is used directly after basic purification without extensive refinement, reducing both process complexity and cost while maintaining adequate material quality for the application.
4Ease of manufacture
If agricultural residues are used instead of food crops, then economic feasibility is improved, but material consistency may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses adjustable extraction parameters (solvent concentration, temperature, extraction time) to accommodate variations in agricultural residue composition. By optimizing these parameters for each biomass source, consistent prolamin extraction is achieved despite differences in raw material composition, enabling reliable thermoplastic production from variable agricultural residues.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction and purification process includes monitoring and adjustment steps that provide feedback on prolamin recovery and material quality. This feedback mechanism allows optimization of extraction conditions to compensate for variations in agricultural residue composition, maintaining material consistency across different batches and sources.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process produces thermoplastic materials with desirable physicochemical and mechanical properties, minimizing the use of additives and maintaining the natural structure of prolamins, resulting in economically viable, bio-based, and biodegradable products suitable for industrial applications.
Implementation Method 1
mixing a biomass containing prolamins with a first organic solvent; extracting solvent-soluble components of the biomass containing prolamins
Implementation Method 2
recovering thermoplastic material
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing a thermoplastic material for use as powder or slurry for further processing such as injection molding or coating, comprising the steps of mixing a biomass containing prolamins, such as a grain source or a water insoluble fraction of a grain, having prolamins and lipids, and an organic solvent to obtain undissolved components and dissolved components comprising dissolved prolamin, lipids and other dissolved components, extracting the dissolved components into a first liquid and extracting undissolved components in a first solid under the specific conditions. separating the first solid from the first liquid, recovering the thermoplastic material from the first liquid as powder by removing organic solvent under the conditions of maintaining temperature of the prolamins below 80° C., preferably below 75° C., maintaining a dielectric constant εr between 30 and 42 at 25° C., and maintaining a pressure level at below 2 bar.