Browsing by Author "Pastore, Carlo"

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Cleaner and Sustainable Synthesis of High Quality Monoglycerides by use of Enzyme Technologies: Techno-economic and Environmental study for Monolaurin
(2022-09) Mustafa, Ahmad; Fathy, Sara; Kutlu, Ozben; Niikura, Fumiya; Inayat, Abrar; Mustafa, Muhammad; Abdellatie, Tamer M.M.; Bokhari, Awais; Samuel, David; Pastore, Carlo; Bitonto, Luigi; Mohsen, Reham
Currently, monoglycerides (MG) are produced using a complicated energy intensive technology that contributes negatively toward greenhouse gas mitigation. This work suggests a cleaner and simpler one-step enzymatic production of α-monolaurin in an inert membrane reactor, where the reaction and enzyme separation are conducted simultaneously in one unit. Candida antarctica lipase (Lipozyme 435) was used to catalyze the esterification reaction between lauric acid and glycerin in a solvent-free system under mild temperatures. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the reaction conditions. The optimal conditions were a molecular sieve of 14.85% w/w, a temperature of 56.95°C, an enzyme amount of 5.38% w/w, and a molar ratio of 4.75% w/w. The gas chromatography (GC) analysis showed that the α-monolaurin percentage was 49.5% when the enzymatic process (ENZ) was used. The conventional chemical (CHEM) and autocatalytic (AUT) esterification methods were also performed to study their proportional MG yields. The GC results showed the MG percentages of 43.9% and 41.7% for CHEM and AUT, respectively. Economic analysis was also conducted for the suggested enzymatic technique, and the findings were compared with those of the CHEM and AUT technologies. Using a plant capacity of 4950 t/year and 11% interest for the proposed ENZ process, the total capital investment of α-monolaurin production was preferably four times less than that of the CHEM process and three times less than that of the AUT method, presenting investment possibilities. However, the ENZ process showed the least profitability (net profit per day) among the three processes. Nevertheless, the return on investment and net present value for the ENZ process were preferably higher than those of CHEM and AUT because of its interestingly lower inside battery limit plant cost and less energy consumption. The AUT/CHEM processes generated a total carbon dioxide (CO2 ) exhaust of t CO2 678.7 eq./year. In contrast, the ENZ process exhausted a total CO2 of only 50 t CO2 eq./year. The present integrated techno-economic and environmental study of α-monolaurin production emphasizes the green and cost benefits of the proposed ENZ technology.
A Closed-Loop Biorefinery Approach for the Valorization of Winery Waste: The Production of Iron-Sulfonated Magnetic Biochar Catalysts and 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural from Grape Pomace and Stalks
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-03) di Bitonto, Luigi; Scelsi, Enrico; Reynel-Ávila, Hilda Elizabeth; Mendoza-Castillo, Didilia Ileana; Bonilla-Petriciolet, Adrián; Hájek, Martin; Mustafa, Ahmad; Pastore, Carlo
In this work, a closed-loop strategy for the management and valorization of winery waste was proposed. The exhausted pomace and grape stalks that are typically obtained from white wine industries were used as a source of simple sugars, namely, glucose and fructose, and of lignocellulosic feedstock for the preparation of selective catalysts for the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) production from fructose. A novel synthetic procedure was developed for the synthesis of iron-sulfonated magnetic biochar catalysts (Fe-SMBCs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), BET surface area, porous structure analysis and determination of total amount of acid sites were performed in order to characterize the physico-chemical properties of the synthesized systems. Then, these heterogeneous catalysts were successfully tested via the dehydration of simple sugars into 5-HMF by using methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and gamma valerolactone (GVL) as co-solvents. The optimum 5-HMF yield of 40.9 ± 1.1%mol with a selectivity of 59.8 ± 2.6%mol was achieved by adopting the following optimized conditions: 0.1 g of catalyst, volume ratio of GVL to H2O = 2 to 1, 403 K, 6 h. In addition, the catalyst was easily recycled using an external magnetic field and used for at least five reaction cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity.
Comparison of the Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of Hydrodynamic Cavitation and Mechanical Stirring Reactors for the Production of Sustainable Hevea brasiliensis Ethyl Ester
(MDPI AG, 2023-12) Samuel, Olusegun David; Aigba, Peter A; Tran, Thien Khanh; Fayaz, H; Pastore, Carlo; Der, Oguzhan; Erçetin, Ali; Enweremadu, Christopher C; Mustafa, Ahmad
Even though the hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (HCR) performs better than the mechanical stirring reactor (MSR) at producing biodiesel, and the ethylic process of biodiesel production is entirely bio-based and environmentally friendly, non-homogeneous ethanol with the triglyceride of underutilized oil, despite the many technical advantages, has discouraged the biodiesel industry and stakeholders from producing ethylic biodiesel in HCRs. This study examines the generation of biodiesel from rubber seed oil (RSO) by comparing the ethyl-based HCR and MSR. Despite ethyl’s technical advantages and environmental friendliness, a lack of scalable protocols for various feedstocks hinders its global adoption. The research employs Aspen HYSYS simulations to investigate the ethanolysis process for RSO in both HCRs and MSRs. The HCR proves more productive, converting 99.01% of RSO compared to the MSR’s 94.85%. The HCR’s exergetic efficiency is 89.56% vs. the MSR’s 54.92%, with significantly lower energy usage. Removing catalytic and glycerin purification stages impacts both processes, with HC showing lower exergy destruction. Economic analysis reveals the HCR’s lower investment cost and higher net present value (USD 57.2 million) and return on investment (176%) compared to the MSR’s. The HCR also has a much smaller carbon footprint, emitting 7.2 t CO2 eq./year, while the MSR emits 172 t CO2 eq./year. This study provides database information for quickly scaling up the production of ethanolic biodiesel from non-edible and third-generation feedstocks in the HCR and MSR.
Eco-friendly isopropyl myristate production in a fixed bed reactor: Leveraging energy-saving enzymatic techniques with a comprehensive evaluation of techno-economic feasibility
(Elsevier Ltd, 2024-06) Mustafa, Ahmad; Sadek, M. Shaaban; Abou Taleb, Manal F; Munir, Mamoona; Kutlu, Ozben; Pastore, Carlo; Bitonto, Luigi di; Faisal, Shah; Hammad, Hossam; Ibrahim, Mohamed M; Abdellatief, Tamer M.M; Bokhari, Awais; Samuel, Olusegun David; Inayat, Abrar; El-Bahy, Zeinhom M
This study aims to develop a straightforward, eco-friendly, and energy-saving approach for producing isopropyl myristate (IPM) through lipase-catalyzed esterification in a fixed bed reactor. The reaction between isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid was catalyzed using Novozym 435. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to examine the interaction of various reaction parameters on the yield of IPM. The highest observed and predicted conversion rates were 95 % and 94.2 %, respectively. The optimum conditions included a molar ratio of isopropyl alcohol to myristic acid of 15:1, a time of 12 h, and a flow rate of 1.25 ml/min. The synthesized IPM was isolated and comprehensively characterized using GC–MS, FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR techniques. To further validate the applicability of this method, a Process Simulation Diagram (PSD) was developed using ASPEN PLUS software to simulate IPM production under the optimized conditions. Economic analysis revealed a positive net present value (NPV) of $169,664,820.33 and a return on investment (ROI) of 536.52 %, indicating that this sustainable approach offers low investment risks and high profitability.
Eco-friendly production of biodiesel from Carthamus tinctorius L. seeds using bismuth oxide nanocatalysts derived from Cannabis sativa L. Leaf extract
(Institution of Chemical Engineers, 2024-08) Abbasi, Tehreem Usman; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Alsahli, Abdulaziz Abdullah; Asma, Maliha; b, Rozina; Mussagy, Cassamo Ussemane; Abdellatief, Tamer M.M; Pastore, Carlo; Mustafa, Ahmad
Global challenges in environmental protection, social welfare, and economic growth necessitate increased energy production and related services. Biofuel production from waste biomass presents a promising solution, given its widespread availability. This study focuses on converting highly potent Carthamus tinctorius L. seed oil (51 % w/w) into sustainable biofuel using a novel, highly reactive, recyclable, and eco-friendly bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nano-catalyst derived from Cannabis sativa L. leaf extract. The physio-chemical properties of the synthesized biodiesel were analyzed using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, the green Bi2O3 nanoparticles were characterized through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Diffraction X-Ray (EDX), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Optimal conditions for biodiesel production were determined using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in combination with Central Composite Design (CCD), focusing on molar ratio, catalyst loading, and reaction duration. The highest output (94 %) of C. tinctorius-derived biodiesel (CTBD) was achieved under the following conditions: a temperature (75 °C) for time duration (100 min), a methanol to oil ratio (6:1), and a catalyst loading (0.69 wt%). The resulting biodiesel met international standards, with a sulphur content of 0.00097 wt%, and an acid value of (0.34 mg KOH/g). This study demonstrates that converting C. tinctorius waste seed oil into clean bioenergy is an effective waste management strategy that minimizes environmental impact.
Enhancing biodiesel production from urban sewage sludge: A novel industrial configuration and optimization model
(Elsevier Ltd, 2023-11) Bitonto, Luigi di; Scelsi, Enrico; Locaputo, Vito; Mustafa, Ahmad; Pastore, Carlo
In this work, a novel industrial configuration for the lipid extraction from sewage sludge was proposed. In detail, respect to conventional scheme based on direct extraction of lipids from wet sedimented sewage sludge using hexane, a preliminary centrifugation of sewage sludge prior to the extraction process was introduced. Economic and energetic balances for both configurations were evaluated using Aspen Plus simulator, including the posttreatment of exhausted sewage sludge obtained after the process. By centrifuging sewage sludge prior to the extraction process, overall costs can be reduced (27 % less), while preserving the same extraction efficiency for lipid recovery (80 %). Initial capital investments, amounts of reactants and total energy demand were sensibly reduced to achieve BEP of extracted lipids of 784 € ton-1 (vs 1.291 € ton-1 for conventional route). Finally, the economic feasibility of biodiesel production from lipids obtained from centrifuged sludge was evaluated by applying direct esterification with methanol and AlCl3⋅6H2O BEP of biodiesel produced of 1.186 € ton-1 was obtained with NPV of 27.5 M€ and DPP of 2.5 years. These values, show that biodiesel production from sewage sludge could be profitable considering only the proposed approach, fully unlocking the potential of waste in coherence with circular economy principles.
Has the time finally come for green oleochemicals and biodiesel production using large-scale enzyme technologies? Current status and new developments
(Elsevier Inc., 2023-10) Mustafa, Ahmad; Faisal, Shah; Ahmed, Inas A; Munir, Mamoona; Cipolatti, Eliane Pereira; Manoel, Evelin Andrade; Pastore, Carlo; di Bitonto, Luigi; Hanelt, Dieter; Nitbani, Febri Odel; El-Bahy, Zeinhom M; Inayat, Abrar; Abdellatief, Tamer M.M; Tonova, Konstantza; Bokhari, Awais; Abomohra, Abdelfatah
With the growth of the chemical industry over the last decade, the need for cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) alternatives to petrochemicals of ever-increasing cost has grown steadily. Oleochemicals and biodiesel (OC/BD) are considered as green alternatives to petroleum derivatives, because they come from renewable oils and fats. OC/BD are currently produced by the traditional energy intensive chemical catalyzed methods, which have several economic and environmental drawbacks. For these reasons, the enzymatic production of OC/BD has attracted a growing attention for their greener pathway with respect to the chemically catalyzed processes. Lipase-catalyzed processes have a low energy requirement, since reactions are performed under atmospheric pressure and mild temperature and without the creation of side reactions. Furthermore, utilization of enzyme catalysts offers many advantages such as reducing the initial capital investment due to simplified downstream processing steps. Despite all the previous advantages, however, the high cost of lipases restricted their large-scale utilization. In the past decade, efforts have been made to reduce the cost of the enzymatic-catalyzed synthesis of OC/BD. However, most previous studies have studied only the technical feasibility of the lipase-catalyzed re- actions and overlocked the economic viability. This review critically discusses the factors affecting the promotion of the economic feasibility of the enzymatic processes from the lab to large scale. These include reactor configuration, type of feedstock, conditions optimization, immobilization, lipase-producing microorganisms
Has the time finally come for green oleochemicals and biodiesel production using large-scale enzyme technologies? Current status and new developments
(Elsevier Inc, 2023-12) Mustafa, Ahmad; Faisal, Shah; Ahmed, Inas A; Munir, Mamoona; Cipolatti, Eliane Pereira; Manoel, Evelin Andrade; Pastore, Carlo; Bitonto, Luigi di; Hanelt, Dieter; Nitbani, Febri Odel; El-Bahy, Zeinhom M; Inayat, Abrar; Abdellatief, Tamer M.M; Tonova, Konstantza; Bokhari, Awais; Abomohra, Abdelfatah
With the growth of the chemical industry over the last decade, the need for cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) alternatives to petrochemicals of ever-increasing cost has grown steadily. Oleochemicals and biodiesel (OC/BD) are considered as green alternatives to petroleum derivatives, because they come from renewable oils and fats. OC/BD are currently produced by the traditional energy intensive chemical catalyzed methods, which have several economic and environmental drawbacks. For these reasons, the enzymatic production of OC/BD has attracted a growing attention for their greener pathway with respect to the chemically catalyzed processes. Lipase-catalyzed processes have a low energy requirement, since reactions are performed under atmospheric pressure and mild temperature and without the creation of side reactions. Furthermore, utilization of enzyme catalysts offers many advantages such as reducing the initial capital investment due to simplified downstream processing steps. Despite all the previous advantages, however, the high cost of lipases restricted their large-scale utilization. In the past decade, efforts have been made to reduce the cost of the enzymatic-catalyzed synthesis of OC/BD. However, most previous studies have studied only the technical feasibility of the lipase-catalyzed reactions and overlocked the economic viability. This review critically discusses the factors affecting the promotion of the economic feasibility of the enzymatic processes from the lab to large scale. These include reactor configuration, type of feedstock, conditions optimization, immobilization, lipase-producing microorganisms.
Selective synthesis of alpha monoglycerides by a clean method: Techno-economic and environmental assessment
(Elsevier, 2022-04-12) Mustafa, Ahmad; Niikura, Fumiya; Pastore, Carlo; Allam, Hoda A; Hassan, Omnia Bassam; Mustafa, Muhamad; Inayat, Abrar; Salah, Sameh A; Abdel Salam, Ahmed; Mohsen, Reham
This work proposes an alternative green and selective biocatalytic route for Glycerin Mono- stearate (α-monostearin) production. The conventional method of production uses an elevated temperature. Apart from the high energy consumption, such high temperatures darken the final product’s color, lead to random reactions, and produce high orders of diglycerides and tri- glycerides instead of monoglycerides. The proposed production process was performed by esterifying stearic acid with glycerin in an organic medium using Candida antarctica lipase (Novozym 435) at a mild temperature. The reaction conditions were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM): optimum conditions were a temperature of 60 ◦C, glycerin to stearic acid molar ratio of 8:1, and Novozym 435 amount of 6% w/w. The solvent addition remarkably improved the α-monostearin yield to nearly 80% without the need for the energy-intensive distillation step. The conventional autocatalytic esterification (AUT) process was also per- formed to investigate the comparative monoglyceride yield, and it was found to be 22.5%. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and gas-chromatography confirmed that α-monostearin could be produced with the highest purity using the proposed enzymatic method (ENZ). Economic and environmental analyses were also conducted for the proposed ENZ process, and the results were compared with those of the AUT process. The total capital investment of α-monostearin pro- duction, considering a projected capacity of 4950 t year− 1 and 11% interest for the proposed ENZ process, was favorably 2.5 times lower than that of the AUT process, suggesting a promising investment opportunity. However, the total production costs showed unfavorable negative net present value (NPV) and return on investment (ROI) for the ENZ process and favorable positive NPV and ROI for the AUT process, indicating that the proposed venture is not profitable for α-monostearin production. However, the process can be profitable at improved operational sta- bility of Novozym 435 up to 1 kg per 3-ton product. The carbon footprint was calculated on the basis of the given capacity and conditions of 50 and 656 t CO2 eq./year for the ENZ and AUT processes, respectively. The synthesis of α-monostearin using the proposed route can be consid- ered a building block toward a cleaner large-scale production of α-monoglycerides.
Sustainable synthesis of 2-ethyl hexyl oleate via lipase-catalyzed esterification: A holistic simulation and cost analysis study
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-07) Faisal, Shah; Sadek, M. Shaaban; Pastore, Carlo; di Bitonto, Luigi; Alshammari, Saud O; Mussagy, Cassamo U; El-Bahy, Salah M; Abdellatief, Tamer M.M; El-Bahy, Zeinhom M; Mustafa, Ahmad
Lipase catalyzed synthesis of fatty acid esters has recently attracted much attention as it represents a cleaner production route compared to the conventional energy intensive chemical method. In this study, the technical and economic viability of 2-ethyl hexyl oleate (2-EHO) synthesis by the catalytic esterification of oleic acid (OA) and 2-ethyl hexyl alcohol (2-EHA) in a stirred tank reactor using Novozym 435 (Candida antarctica lipase B) was investigated. A conversion rate of 91% was obtained by adopting the subsequent optimized parameters: 4% enzyme amount, 2 h reaction time, 4:1 M ratio of alcohol to fatty acid, 150 rpm stirring speed, and 60 °C temperature. The lipase operational stability study showed that enzymes can be used for 30 successive cycles without significant lose in activity. The use of Aspen Plus simulator enabled the development of a detailed process flow diagram, which significantly improved the understanding of this clean production method and assessed the overall costs. A holistic cost analysis revealed a production cost of $2109 per ton of 2-EHO, thereby yielding an approximate 28% profit margin relative to prevailing market rates. Rigorous financial assessments corroborated the project's viability, substantiating a net present value (NPV) of $14.7 MM, a return on investment (ROI) of 583.91% (plant life time = 15 years), projected Payback Period stands at 6 years, and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 23%. These results confirm the technical and economic feasibility of lipase catalyzed production of 2-EHO, highlighting its potential as an environmentally and profitable approach in the synthesis of fatty acid esters.