Improving the Technology for the Production of Fruit Distillates Based on Innovative Approaches to Fractional Distillation of Apple Wine Materials

В настоящей статье научно обоснован прием сокращения количества образующейся головной фракции при фракционной перегонке. В том числе научно обоснована перспективность повторного применения нового побочного продукта фракционной перегонки, промежуточной фракции, в технологии изготовления яблочных (фруктовых) или кальвадосных дистиллятов. Представлен сравнительный анализ состава головной фракции, полученной в процессе фракционной перегонки с выделением и применением и без выделения и применения промежуточной фракции с учетом требований технических нормативно-правовых актов. Подтверждена целесообразность проведения процесса фракционной перегонки с отбором четырех фракций вместо трех, характерных для классической технологии производства фруктовых дистиллятов. In this material is scientifically justified the method of reducing the amount of the resulting head fraction during fractional distillation. Scientifically based the prospects for the repeated application of a new product fractional distillation of an intermediate fraction in the technology of manufacturing fruit distillates. Сomparative analysis is presented of the composition of the head fraction and with / without isolation (s) and with / without the use (s) of an intermediate fraction, following the technical requirements. The expediency of the process has been proved with the selection of four instead of three fractions characteristic of the classical technology of production of fruit distillates.

Enriching terpinen-4-ol from tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil using vacuum fractional distillation: Effect of column and packings on the separation

Two types of columns, three types of packings, and four levels of column height were considered to investigate how column and packings affected the separation in the vacuum fractional distillation process of raw tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil (TTO). This study discussed those effects on purity, yield, and overall discovery to select the most excellent operating conditions for enriching terpinen-4-ol. After the experiments, the essential oil was successfully separated into two fractions, in which the second one composed mostly the main TTO constituent, terpinen-4-ol. The best result was achieved by conducting the distillation on a 300-mm Hempel column filled with small Fenske helices (10 mm × 2 mm i.d.) at the system pressure of 60 mmHg. GC/MS analysis showed an almost 2.5-fold increase in the content of terpinen-4-ol, from 39.23% to 95.77% after fractionation. Meanwhile, there was 75% of terpinen-4-ol successfully recovered from its parental oil. Hence, the vacuum fraction distillation could be an effective method to enrich the terpinen-4-ol content in TTO.

Separation of carvone by batch distillation from the mixture obtained from limonene oxidation

Limonene is the main constituent of citrus oils whose oxidation produces a set of fine chemical compounds such as carvone, carveol, and limonene 1,2-epoxide. This contribution reports the results of the experimental evaluation and computational simulation of carvone separation by fractional distillation from the reaction mixture. Carvone was obtained from limonene oxidation over a perchlorinated iron phthalocyanine supported on modified silica catalyst (FePcCl16-NH2-SiO2) and t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant. Both experimental and simulation results support that fractional distillation (in batch and continuous) is a suitable technique for concentrating carvone. However, in the presence of water, the formation of immiscible L-L phases makes the experimental separation of carvone more difficult. Simulation results of the batch distillation incorporating the NRTL-RK thermodynamic model indicate that if water, acetone, and t-butanol are previously removed from the reaction mixture, carvone composition can be enriched in the reboiler from 4% up to 50%, or around 86.5% if the removal is in a third distillate cut under vacuum conditions.

Fractionating of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) Essential Oil by Vacuum Fractional Distillation

Lemongrass essential oil has many compounds appropriate for application in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Of these, citral is a high-value compound of interest to industry. This work aims to evaluate the use of vacuum fractional distillation to separate lemongrass essential oil compounds, producing essential oil fractions containing high citral content. The effect of process parameters, namely vacuum pressure, type column, and energy input, on the fractionation time, content, and recovery of citral in the fractions, was investigated. The fractionation of lemongrass oils successfully provided five fractions, i.e., fraction 1 (F1), fraction 2 (F2), fraction 3 (F3), fraction 4 (F4), and fraction 5 (F5). GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) spectra showed that the main compound contained in F1 and F2 fractions was β-myrcene (>70%). Meanwhile, F4 and F5 were the two main fractions for citral recovery. The optimal conditions of the fractional distillation system included a column height of 400 mm, power input of 165 W, and pressure of 15 mmHg. These conditions correspond to the highest total citral content of 95%, with a recovery of 80% at the F4 and F5 fractions. Therefore, fractional vacuum distillation may be an effective method to upgrade lemongrass essential oil.

Chemical Recycling of WEEE Plastics—Production of High Purity Monocyclic Aromatic Chemicals

More than 200 kg real waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) shredder residues from a German dismantling plant were treated at 650 °C in a demonstration scale thermochemical conversion plant. The focus within this work was the generation, purification, and analysis of pyrolysis oil. Subsequent filtration and fractional distillation were combined to yield basic chemicals in high purity. By means of fractional distillation, pure monocyclic aromatic fractions containing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX aromatics) as well as styrene and α-methyl styrene were isolated for chemical recycling. Mass balances were determined, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) measurements provided data on the purity and halogen content of each fraction. This work shows that thermochemical conversion and the subsequent refining by fractional distillation is capable of recycling WEEE shredder residues, producing pure BTEX and other monocyclic aromatic fractions. A significant decrease of halogen content (up to 99%) was achieved with the applied methods.

Bio-Gasoline and Bio-Kerosene Production by Fractional Distillation of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Açaí Seeds

The bio-oil obtained by pyrolysis of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seeds at 450 ºC, 1.0 atmosphere, in technical scale, submitted to fractional distillation to produce biofuels-like fractions. The distillation of bio-oil carried out in a laboratory distillation column (Vigreux) of 30 cm. The physical-chemistry properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value and refractive index) determined by official methods. The chemical functions present in distillation fractions determined by FT-IR and the chemical composition by GC-MS. The distillation of bio-oil yielded gasoline, light kerosene, and kerosene-like fuel fractions of 16.16, 19.56, and 41.89% (wt.), respectively. All the physical-chemistry properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value and refractive index) increase with boiling temperature. The gasoline-like fraction is composed by 64.0% (area.) hydrocarbons and 36.0% (area.) oxygenates, while light kerosene-like fraction by 66.67% (area.) hydrocarbons and 33.33% (area.) oxygenates, and kerosene-like fraction by 19.87% (area.) hydrocarbons and 81.13% (area.) oxygenates.