Amaranthus Biorefinery
Sustainability is the Way!
Idea in Biotechnology
Introduction
The Supercritical region is a physicochemical condition, of any fluid, where its gas properties resemble that of a liquid. Properties like density and/or solubility are advantageous considering extraction thermodynamics. Furthermore, Carbon dioxide is a major physical driver of climate change . Instead of condemning the carbon dioxide as a climate changer we could use it as a supercritical non-polar , benign, non-toxic solvent for the benefit of human kind.
Problem
In 2020, 32,725 tons of waste per year were piled up and thrown away at Central de Abastos market in Mexico City ; 45 % were fruits & vegetables.
In 2019, around 3.6 million tons per annum of food surplus & wastes like oranges, grapefruit and lemons (Citrus) were produced in the UK between households and farmers-markets.
Toxic solvents such as hexane or heptane were used in orange peels and grapefruit peels to produce extracts like d-limonene for applications in nutraceuticals, juices & pharmaceuticals.
Opportunity
Amaranthus Biorefinery has created its own propietary technology to make-up supercritical carbon dioxide and use it as a sustainable, non-toxic solvent to yield terpenes such as d-limonen from orange, grapefruit, lemon and bergamot citrus peel waste.