Project number
25077
Organization
UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
The pharmaceutical industry often looks to plants for effective treatments. Inulin is one of these plant-based potential therapies. It is a naturally occurring polysaccharide in plants such as dandelions, chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes. Inulin can be used as a prebiotic, a dietary fiber, an enhancement for vaccines, and in medicines targeting the colon and kidneys. Jerusalem artichokes contain a high inulin content and serve as a sustainable source for this biomaterial. However, the process for refining the inulin from Jerusalem artichokes is inefficient and expensive.
In this project, the team focused on improving this inulin refinement process. To reach pharmaceutical grade after extraction, the inulin undergoes an intensive purification process. This includes the use of reactors, desalination and moving bed chromatography units, a falling film evaporator, and a spray dryer. The team mathematically modeled each piece of equipment, comparing modeled values with prior research to determine the optimal conditions for purified inulin.
The result of this project is pieces of equipment that are optimized to improve yield and purity while still considering cost and environmental impact.
In this project, the team focused on improving this inulin refinement process. To reach pharmaceutical grade after extraction, the inulin undergoes an intensive purification process. This includes the use of reactors, desalination and moving bed chromatography units, a falling film evaporator, and a spray dryer. The team mathematically modeled each piece of equipment, comparing modeled values with prior research to determine the optimal conditions for purified inulin.
The result of this project is pieces of equipment that are optimized to improve yield and purity while still considering cost and environmental impact.