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Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Digital and Other Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2024 | Viewed by 25172

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Cravotto

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Guest Editor

Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via P. Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy
Interests: green chemistry; process intensification; green extraction; enabling technologies (ultrasound, microwaves, hydrodynamic cavitation, ball milling, flow chemistry); sustainable chemical processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Zhen Fang

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Guest Editor

College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, A503 YuXian Building, 40 Dianjiangtai Road, Nanjing 210031, China
Interests: biofuels; biomass; supercritical water; biodiesel

Prof. Dr. Jose V. Garcia-Perez

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Interests: high power ultrasound; pulsed electric fields-PEF; moderate electric fields-MEF; supercritical fluids; drying; extraction; heat transfer; modeling; non-destructive ultrasonic testing; texture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Processes editors, authors, reviewers, and readers, we have the opportunity to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journal with a Special Issue. Our goal is to highlight the advances and achievements of the past few years. In various fields, new technologies, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning could revolutionise the traditional methods and protocols. The current transdisciplinary approach to design highly efficient and sustainable processes will open up new scenarios with major implications for industrial production, research laboratories and society.

I expect that the special issue "Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes" will redraw the scientific and technical skyline of the third millennium.

Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Cravotto
Prof. Dr. Zhen Fang
Prof. Dr. Jose V. Garcia-Perez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1785 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of 5-Substituted 3-Amino-1,2,4-triazoles from Aminoguanidine Bicarbonate and Carboxylic Acids

by Mustafa Kemal Gümüş, Mykola Yu. Gorobets and Nesimi Uludag

Processes 2024, 12(3), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030573 - 14 Mar 2024

Viewed by 589

Abstract

The effect of the molar ratio between reagents, reaction time and temperature on the yield of 5-substituted 3-amino-1,2,4-triazoles obtained by the direct condensation of carboxylic acids with aminoguanidine bicarbonate under acid catalysis conditions was studied. As a result, a general green straightforward synthesis of the title compounds bearing aliphatic substituents or a phenyl ring was developed using sealed reaction vials under controlled microwave synthesis conditions that are suitable for the application of volatile starting carboxylic acids. Our straightforward synthetic method proposed in this work increases the synthetic accessibility of these widely used building blocks and therefore is able to significantly expand the structural diversity of compounds containing a triazole moiety for the needs of drug discovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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18 pages, 5910 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimization of Giant Magnetoimpedance Effect of Amorphous Microwires by Postprocessing

by Valentina Zhukova, Paula Corte-Leon, Ahmed Talaat, Mihail Ipatov, Alfonso García-Gomez, Alvaro González, Juan Maria Blanco and Arcady Zhukov

Processes 2024, 12(3), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030556 - 12 Mar 2024

Viewed by 540

Abstract

Magnetic microwires with amorphous structures can present a unique combination of excellent magnetic softness and giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effects together with reduced dimensions and good mechanical properties. Such unique properties make them suitable for various technological applications. The high GMI effect, observed in as-prepared Co-rich microwires, can be further optimized by postprocessing. However, unexpected magnetic hardening and a transformation of the linear hysteresis loop into a rectangular loop with a coercivity on the order of 90 A/m were observed in several Co-rich microwires upon conventional annealing. Several routes to improve magnetic softness and GMI effect in Fe- and Co-rich magnetic microwires are provided. We observed that stress annealing could remarkably improve the magnetic softness and GMI ratio of Co-rich microwires. Thus, almost unhysteretic loops with a coercivity of 2 A/m and a magnetic anisotropy field of about 70 A/m are achieved in Co-rich microwires stress annealed at appropriate conditions. The observed change in hysteresis loops and the GMI effect is explained by stress-annealing-induced anisotropy, which is affected by the stresses applied during annealing and by the annealing temperature. While as-prepared Fe-rich amorphous microwires present a low GMI effect, appropriate postprocessing (annealing and stress annealing) allows for a remarkable GMI ratio improvement (an order of magnitude). The evaluated dependence of the maximum GMI ratio on frequency allows the identification of the optimal frequency band for the studied samples. The origin of stress-annealing-induced anisotropy and related changes in hysteresis loops and the GMI effect are discussed in terms of the relaxation of internal stresses, “back-stresses”, as well as structural anisotropy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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18 pages, 5384 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Developing a Quality Control System in a Continuous Hot Air Heating Process in Surimi Seafood Processing Using Image Analysis and Artificial Intelligence

by Won Byong Yoon, Seohee An, Timilehin Martins Oyinloye and Jinho Kim

Processes 2023, 11(11), 3187; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11113187 - 08 Nov 2023

Viewed by 878

Abstract

In this study, the feasibility of classifying surimi gels during a continuous heating process using an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm on labeled images was investigated. Surimi paste with varying corn starch concentrations (0%, 5%, and 10%) and moisture content levels (78% and 80%) from Alaska pollock were analyzed for the subtle physical changes. Rheological characterization and K-means clustering analysis performed on entire images captured from different batches of heated surimi gel indicated a four-stage transformation from its initial state to gel formation with the temperature ranges spanning 25 to <40 °C, 40 to <50 °C, 50 to <55 °C, and 55 to 80 °C. Subsequently, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model based on the temperature classification was designed to interpret and classify these images. A total of 1000 to 1200 images were used for the training, testing, and validation purposes in the ratio 7:1:2. The CNN architecture incorporated essential elements including an input layer, convolutional layers, rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation functions, normalization layers, and max-pooling layers. The CNN model achieved validation accuracy >92.67% for individual mixture composition, 94.53% for classifying surimi samples based on moisture content, and gelation level, and 89.73% for complex classifications involving moisture content, starch concentration, and gelation stages. Additionally, it exhibited high average precision, recall, and F1 scores (>0.92), indicating precision and sensitivity in identifying relevant instances. The success of CNN in non-destructively classifying surimi gels with different moisture and starch contents is demonstrated in this work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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13 pages, 286 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Time and Temperature in Sous-Vide Heat Treatment on Selected Physicochemical Properties of Horsemeat

by Renata Stanisławczyk, Jagoda Żurek, Mariusz Rudy, Marian Gil, Anna Krajewska and Dariusz Dziki

Processes 2023, 11(11), 3126; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11113126 - 31 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 834

Abstract

The sous-vide technique is most commonly used for meat preparation, offering superior nutritional retention, a delicate texture, and enhanced juiciness in the resulting dishes. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of time and temperature in sous-vide heat treatment on selected physicochemical properties of horsemeat. Samples of m. longissimus thoracis were heated to 55, 60, 65 °C for 4, 8, 12, and 24 h, and the impact of these heat treatment parameters on chemical composition, physicochemical properties, amount of heme pigments, and color parameters of the tested raw material was determined. Horsemeat subjected to sous-vide heat treatment at 55 °C for 4 h was characterized by a high proportion of red color and oxymyoglobin. Sous-vide treatment carried out at low temperatures and for a short period of time reduces the amount of weight loss and the increase in the TBARS index, allowing the preservation of the red color of the raw material studied. Prolonging the duration or increasing the temperature of sous-vide processing results in a deterioration of the mentioned parameters and also leads to significant changes in the chemical composition of horsemeat, including a significant reduction in the water content and increase in the amount of fat in horsemeat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

16 pages, 5023 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Soy Protein Nanofibers Obtained by Solution Blow Spinning

by Agata Penconek, Dorota Kasak and Arkadiusz Moskal

Processes 2023, 11(8), 2310; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11082310 - 01 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 853

Abstract

The climate crisis, growing pollution of the environment with waste, and ubiquitous microplastics have encouraged the search for new methods and new opportunities to use natural materials in the least harmful processes. Replacing synthetic materials with raw materials is not only a matter of “fashion”, but also a necessity. Therefore, this study aimed to produce fibers from an aqueous solution containing the highest possible concentration of soy protein isolate (SPI) through solution-blowing. As the aqueous solution of SPI has no fiber-forming potential, polyethylene oxide (PEO) was used as the carrier/matrix. The rheology of the aqueous PEO solution and PEO/SPI blends (flow curves, loss modulus, and storage modulus) was then analyzed. The proportions of the PEO/SPI mixtures and the process parameters were determined on this basis. As a result of the conducted research, nanofibers were produced from water solutions of PEO/SPI with a soy protein content of up to 7.88%, with a PEO share of 1.25%. The average diameter of the obtained fibers was 225–495 nm, depending on the process parameters and SPI content—as the SPI content in the PEO/SPI mixture increased, the average fiber diameter decreased. The production of nanofibers with a high soy protein content increases their application possibilities. Firstly, due to a much larger surface area, and secondly, due to the presence of numerous functional groups in the protein structure, which can be a place of attachment for additional compounds that give the obtained nanofibers the desired properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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16 pages, 1857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) Powders Obtained via Two Drying Methods

by Natalia Salgado-Aristizabal, Tatiana Agudelo-Patiño, Sebastian Ospina-Corral, Ignacio Álvarez-Lanzarote and Carlos Eduardo Orrego

Processes 2023, 11(8), 2290; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11082290 - 31 Jul 2023

Viewed by 906

Abstract

Açaí is a fruit native to Brazil that is found in Colombia, and it is recognized for containing more than 90 compounds with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and other biological activities. In this study, a cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis (LCA) was conducted for the production of açaí powder, following the methodology outlined in the ISO 14040 standard. The investigation focused on examining the impact of utilizing or not utilizing the residues generated during the pulp extraction step as fertilizers. Four scenarios were analyzed and compared: (i) production of açaí powder via vacuum drying, (ii) via spray drying, and via the same two types of drying but using residues from the pulping operation as fertilizer (Scenarios 3 and 4). It was found that to produce 1 kg of açaí in a crop cycle, 1.17 kg of CO₂ eq is produced. The drying stage in Scenarios 1 and 2 generated 8.04 and 7.93 kg of CO₂ eq, respectively. Similarly, when solid waste is used as fertilizer, CO₂ emissions barely increased for Scenarios 3 and 4, respectively. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first carbon footprint study of the production of açaí powder whit these scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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18 pages, 2653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Situ Indoor Air Volatile Organic Compounds Assessment in a Car Factory Painting Line

by Pedro Catalão Moura, Fausto Santos, Carlos Fujão and Valentina Vassilenko

Processes 2023, 11(8), 2259; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11082259 - 27 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 752

Abstract

Proper working conditions must be one of the employers’ main concerns in any type of company but particularly in work locations where the employees are chronically exposed to hazardous compounds, like factories and production lines. Regarding this challenge, the present research addresses the mapping of a car factory painting line to possibly toxic volatile organic compounds emitted by all the coatings and chemicals used during the work shifts for the future evaluation of employees’ exposure. For the first time, a Gas Chromatography–Ion Mobility Spectrometry device was employed for the in situ detection of volatile organic compounds in an automotive factory. A total of 26 analytes were detected at nine different locations, of which 15 VOCs were accurately identified. Pure chemical-grade substances were used for the development of the VOC database. Although quantitative analysis was not the goal of this study, a calibration model was presented to one analyte for exemplificative purposes. Relative intensity profiles were plotted for all locations, revealing that some indoor VOCs can reach intensity levels up to 60 times higher than in outdoor air samples. The achieved results proved that the painting line has an abundant number of VOCs emitted from different sources and may lead to serious health risks for the employees. Additional studies shall be developed in the painting line for quantitative evaluation of the existing VOCs and their influence on the employees’ health conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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10 pages, 732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction and Characterization of Bromelain from Pineapple Core: A Strategy for Pineapple Waste Valorization

by Alex Fissore, Mauro Marengo, Valentina Santoro, Giorgio Grillo, Simonetta Oliaro-Bosso, Giancarlo Cravotto, Fabrizio Dal Piaz and Salvatore Adinolfi

Processes 2023, 11(7), 2064; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072064 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6558

Abstract

Bromelain is a mixture of cysteine endopeptidase usually extracted from pineapple juice and is used for the treatment of various human diseases and in industrial applications. Bromelain demand is quickly increasing, and its recovery from pineapple residues appears to be a sustainable waste management strategy. Pineapple core is among the most significant waste materials in the production of canned pineapple and is richer in bromelain than other pineapple residues. In this project, we compared the enzymatic properties and composition of bromelain extracts from either pineapple core or pulp to address the recovery of bioactive bromelain from pineapple core, thus contributing to the valorization of this waste material. Although significant differences were detected in the protein content of the two preparations, no differences could be detected for their proteolytic activity and for the effect of pH on their enzymatic activity. Mass spectrometry (MS) approaches identified the same peptidases in the fruit and in the core. This confirmed the possibility of using pineapple core to obtain relevant amounts of bioactive bromelain by applying a relatively simple procedure, thus paving the way to implementing a circular economy in this specific industrial sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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27 pages, 24632 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effect of the Freezing Step on Primary Drying Experiments and Simulation of Lyophilization Processes

by Alex Juckers, Petra Knerr, Frank Harms and Jochen Strube

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1404; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051404 - 05 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2724

Abstract

Lyophilization is a widely used preservation method for thermosensitive products. It consists of three process steps: freezing, primary and secondary drying. One of the major drawbacks is the long processing time. The main optimization effort was put into the primary drying phase since it is usually the longest phase. However, the freezing step is of immense importance for process efficiency and product quality. The lack of control during freezing comprises a challenge for process design and tech transfer. In this study, four different freezing steps (shelf-ramped freezing with and without holding step, precooled shelves and an ice fog method for controlled nucleation) are used and their impact on primary drying experiments and simulations is shown. Only the ice fog method is able to control the nucleation temperature leading to low dry layer resistances with low deviations. During the primary drying simulations, the control of the nucleation temperature drastically increases the precision and accuracy of the product temperature prediction. For optimal primary drying design and model predictive control, the nucleation temperature is strongly recommended to be controlled inside a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) concept to achieve reliable and reproducible process conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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Review

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28 pages, 3388 KiB

Open AccessReview

SPIONs Magnetophoresis and Separation via Permanent Magnets: Biomedical and Environmental Applications

by Xian Wu, Stefano Ciannella, Hyeon Choe, Jacob Strayer, Kai Wu, Jeffrey Chalmers and Jenifer Gomez-Pastora

Processes 2023, 11(12), 3316; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123316 - 28 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1630

Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have emerged as cutting-edge materials, garnering increasing attention in recent years within the fields of chemical and biomedical engineering. This increasing interest is primarily attributed to the distinctive chemical and physical properties of SPIONs. Progress in nanotechnology and particle synthesis methodologies has facilitated the fabrication of SPIONs with precise control over parameters such as composition, size, shape, stability, and magnetic response. Notably, these functionalized materials exhibit a remarkable surface-area-to-volume ratio, biocompatibility, and, most importantly, they can be effectively manipulated using external magnetic fields. Due to these exceptional properties, SPIONs have found widespread utility in the medical field for targeted drug delivery and cell separation, as well as in the chemical engineering field, particularly in wastewater treatment. Magnetic separation techniques driven by magnetophoresis have proven to be highly efficient, encompassing both high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) and low-gradient magnetic separation (LGMS). This review aims to provide an in-depth exploration of magnetic field gradient separation techniques, alongside a comprehensive discussion of the applications of SPIONs in the context of drug delivery, cell separation, and environmental remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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21 pages, 2390 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

An Overview of Carbon Emission Mitigation in the Food Industry: Efforts, Challenges, and Opportunities

by Ting-Chun Liu, Yi-Ching Wu and Chi-Fai Chau

Processes 2023, 11(7), 1993; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071993 - 01 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7177

Abstract

The food system plays a significant role in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to over one-third of these emissions. However, there has been limited attention given in the literature on how the food industry can effectively address the carbon issue. This review aims to bridge this research gap through providing a comprehensive overview of anthropogenic GHG emissions and exploring the role of carbon markets in mitigating climate change, with a specific emphasis on the food industry. It delves into the introduction of emission hotspots within the food industry, examines ongoing efforts in GHG emissions mitigation, and addresses the challenges associated with GHG verification and offsetting. Notably, emission hotspots are primarily found in the farm, manufacturing, and post-production stages of the food industry. The emissions from the farm stage, which are often overlooked, make a significant contribution to overall emissions. Carbon verification encounters limitations due to a lack of standardized methodologies, inaccurate data, and insufficient reporting of emissions. Currently, achieving carbon neutrality without relying on carbon offsets presents a significant challenge for the entire food industry. Comprehensive mitigation strategies and collaboration across agricultural producers and the food manufacturing industry are considered potential solutions to achieve genuine sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Features, Reviews and Perspectives for the 10th Anniversary of Processes)

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