Lycopene Extraction from Tomato Pomace via Dehydration and Air Blast Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting lycopene from tomato skins result in low yields, high costs, and environmental issues due to water usage and solvent requirements, making large-scale industrial production impractical.
Innovation Solution
A process involving dehydration, drying with antioxidants, coarse and fine crushing, air blast separation, granulation, solvent extraction, and active carbon treatment to obtain lycopene from tomato pomace, optimizing energy use and reducing waste while enhancing yield and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ethanol extraction method is used, then the extraction process is simple, but the lycopene yield is low due to very low solubility of lycopene in ethanol
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the solvent parameters from pure ethanol to a mixed solvent system (ethanol-water-acid), and modifies process parameters including adding antioxidants and controlling pH levels. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining process simplicity while dramatically improving lycopene yield through optimized solvent composition and process conditions.
2Ease of operation
If tomatoes are used as raw material without dehydration treatment, then the extraction process is straightforward, but the yield is low and large amount of solvent is needed resulting in high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary dehydration treatment to tomato pomace before extraction, reducing water content from approximately 90% to below 10%. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by enabling more efficient solvent usage during extraction, reducing both solvent quantity needed and operational complexity in later stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the raw material through dehydration, transforming wet tomato pomace into dried material. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by improving extraction efficiency and reducing solvent requirements while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Ease of manufacture
If wet tomato skins are washed and crushed with colloid grinder, then the extraction can proceed, but large scale production is restricted due to limited crush capability and water usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary dehydration before crushing and extraction, transforming the physical state of tomato skins from wet to dry. This resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient large-scale crushing and reducing water usage, thereby improving both manufacturing feasibility and production scale capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes water from tomato skins through dehydration treatment before subsequent processing steps. This extraction of water resolves the contradiction by eliminating the limitations imposed by high moisture content, enabling efficient large-scale production while maintaining process feasibility.
4Productivity
If supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is used, then lycopene can be extracted from tomato skins, but the device cost increases and industrial scale production is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive supercritical extraction equipment with conventional, inexpensive extraction devices using organic solvents. This resolves the contradiction by achieving satisfactory extraction efficiency through cost-effective equipment and methods suitable for industrial scale production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction method from supercritical carbon dioxide to conventional organic solvent extraction, modifying the physical and chemical parameters of the extraction process. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining extraction efficiency while dramatically reducing equipment complexity and cost for industrial application.
5Productivity
If ultra-sound/microwave synergistic technology is used, then lycopene yield may be relatively high, but large scale industrial production is not feasible due to technology complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex ultra-sound/microwave equipment with conventional extraction devices, using simple and inexpensive equipment for large scale production. This resolves the contradiction by achieving high lycopene yield through optimized conventional methods rather than complex technological systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the extraction technology from ultra-sound/microwave synergistic method to conventional solvent extraction, modifying the physical and chemical parameters of the process. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining high yield through optimized conventional parameters while eliminating technology complexity barriers to industrial scale production.
6Productivity
If air blast separation is used to separate tomato seeds from skins, then the process is efficient and environmentally friendly, but additional equipment is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs air blast (pneumatic) separation to separate tomato seeds from skins based on density differences. This resolves the contradiction by achieving efficient and environmentally friendly separation while using relatively simple pneumatic equipment rather than complex mechanical or chemical separation systems.
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
This process increases lycopene yield, reduces environmental impact, and improves product quality by minimizing water usage, energy consumption, and impurity presence, making it suitable for large-scale continuous production.
Implementation Method 1
separating the coarsely crushed raw material containing lycopene by air blast process, and taking the portion of raw material with a less relative density
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the resulting granules to extraction with organic solvent
Implementation Method 3
treating the resultant of extraction with active carbon and filtering
Data Source
AI summary
A process for extracting lycopene, comprising the following steps: pressing and dehydrating tomato pomace which is the by-products of tomato processing production, then drying it to control the water content in the range from 10% to 20%; crushing the dried tomato pomace, and separating tomato skins and tomato seeds by air blast process, granulating the separated tomato skins and extracting them, then purifying by removing impurity from the extracted lycopene with active carbon. The process uses the by-products of tomato production as raw material, thus increasing the utilization ratio of tomatoes; the way of separating the seeds and skins after dehydrating and drying can save water and reduce the discharge of pollutant; the addition of antioxidant in the process of drying avoids the impact of high temperature on lycopene; extracting after granulating the tomato skins significantly increases the extracting efficiency; treating the extracting solution with active carbon effectively can remove the pesticide residues, impurities, odor etc., and thus increase the quality of lycopene.