Plant Cuticular Wax Extraction Using a Capturing Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to efficiently extract and refine cuticular wax from agricultural plant materials due to low concentration and dilution in aqueous solutions, resulting in impure and scarce natural waxes, which are essential for applications requiring thermal resistance and shine, and current refining tools like filtration and bleaching are inadequate for high-quality wax production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mechanical and enzymatic treatments to disassociate cuticular wax, followed by temperature solubilization, separation into solid and liquid fractions, and use of a capturing agent to concentrate and recover the wax, which is then bleached and formulated into valuable products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional extraction methods are used on agricultural plant material, then wax can be obtained, but the wax concentration is very low due to dilution in aqueous solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts wax from the dilute aqueous extraction medium using an organic solvent that selectively dissolves the wax, separating it from the water-based solution. This concentrates the wax from the dilute state into the organic phase, effectively removing it from the aqueous environment where it was diluted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the system by introducing an organic solvent with different solubility characteristics than water. The wax transitions from being dispersed in aqueous phase to being dissolved in organic phase, changing the concentration parameter from dilute (0.2% in straw slurry) to concentrated form in the organic extract.
2Productivity
If mechanical and enzymatic dewaxing methods are used, then wax is released from plant material, but the wax becomes diluted in larger volume aqueous suspension
Solution Approach 1:
The organic solvent acts as an intermediary substance that bridges the aqueous extraction medium and the wax product. It selectively interacts with the wax, pulling it out of the aqueous phase and concentrating it, thereby mediating between the dilute extraction environment and the need for concentrated wax product.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional filtration and bleaching methods are used, then some purification is achieved, but the wax purity and quality are insufficient for demanding applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses winterized vegetable oil as a model system to develop and optimize the extraction methodology before applying it to the actual plant material. This preliminary copying of the extraction process with a known good system allows refinement of parameters to achieve high purity and consistent quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multiple parameter changes including temperature control during extraction, selective solvent selection, and controlled cooling for winterization. These parameter adjustments enable precise control over the purification process, achieving both high purity and consistent quality required for demanding applications.
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 method produces a highly pure and concentrated cuticular wax, overcoming the limitations of traditional refining methods, enabling its use in demanding applications such as cosmetics and coatings.
Implementation Method 1
mixing said liquid fraction from step (d) with a capturing agent, wherein said capturing agent is a non-water miscible liquid in which said plant derived cuticular wax is soluble
Implementation Method 2
solubilizing said plant derived cuticular wax by increasing the temperature of the sample obtained in step (b) to a temperature greater than the melting point of said plant derived cuticular wax
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a method of extracting and refining wax from plant material. Briefly, the method comprises the steps of (a) providing plant material comprising cuticular wax, (b) disassociating cuticular wax from the plant material, thereby obtaining a sample comprising plant derived cuticular wax and dewaxed plant material in an aqueous suspension, (c) solubilizing the plant derived cuticular wax by increasing the temperature of the sample, (d) separating the suspension into a solid fraction and a liquid fraction comprising melted plant derived cuticular wax, (e) mixing the liquid fraction with a capturing agent, wherein the capturing agent has a boiling point above 85°C at ambient pressure, (f) separating the mixture into an aqueous fraction and a capture fraction comprising capturing agent and plant derived cuticular wax, (g) recovering the plant derived cuticular wax from the capture fraction.