Lauric Oil Refining via Activated Carbon Adsorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing antimicrobial compositions from lauric oils result in products with strong taste, smell, and color, and high contaminant levels, making them unsuitable for certain animal feeds, particularly aquatic and young animal feeds, and there is a need for a method that reduces these issues while maintaining antimicrobial effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the refinement of lauric oils using activated carbon to split them into compositions comprising 90% or more free fatty acids, which are then used as natural antimicrobial agents in animal feeds, with the refinement process including degumming, bleaching, and deodorization, and the use of activated carbon at controlled temperatures to minimize contaminants and improve odor and color profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If distillation is performed under highly controlled conditions to obtain free fatty acids, then purity is improved, but strong taste, smell, and color develop due to secondary oxidation products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful secondary oxidation products (ketones and aldehydes) from the fatty acid distillate through additional purification steps, separating them from the desired free fatty acids to eliminate strong taste, smell, and color while maintaining purity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies distillation parameters including operating under high vacuum, using lower temperatures, and minimizing residence time to reduce the formation of secondary oxidation products that cause strong taste, smell, and coloration
2Reliability
If distillation is performed to separate free fatty acids from glycerol backbone, then antimicrobial activity is improved, but contaminant concentrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful concentrated contaminants into a removable byproduct stream, using the distillation process to separate and concentrate contaminants in a separate fraction that can be discarded, while the purified free fatty acid fraction retains antimicrobial activity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent discards the contaminant-rich fraction obtained during distillation while recovering and utilizing the purified free fatty acid fraction, separating the harmful contaminants from the beneficial antimicrobial components
3Productivity
If conventional distillation methods are used to produce free fatty acids, then production efficiency is improved, but strong odor and taste make them unsuitable for certain animal feeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the volatile secondary oxidation products responsible for strong odor and taste through additional purification steps, eliminating these harmful sensory properties while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies processing parameters to minimize the formation of odor and taste-causing compounds while maintaining efficient production, using controlled distillation conditions and additional purification to produce a neutral-tasting product suitable for aquatic and young animal feeds
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 antimicrobial compositions with reduced taste, smell, and color, and lower contaminant levels, suitable for a wider range of animal feeds, enhancing feed efficiency, growth, and reducing mortality in animals without adverse effects.
Implementation Method 1
the refined oil is an oil that has been brought into contact with activated carbon
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the method of producing an antimicrobial composition comprising step of splitting a refined (preferably degummed, bleached and deodorised) lauric oil (preferably coconut oil, palm kernel oil or their mixtures). The invention further relates to antimicrobial compositions comprising 90% of free fatty acids (preferably: 0-5% caproic acid, 1-15% caprylic acid, 1-15% capric acid and 35-70% lauric acid), to the animal feed comprising said composition and to their uses.