Valorization of Waste Orange Peel to Produce Shear-Thinning Gels

A laboratory experiment was developed to introduce students to waste valorization. This is the process of reusing, recycling, or composting from wastes, useful products, or sources of energy. In this laboratory experiment, waste valorization is demonstrated through transforming waste orange peel (WO...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education 2019-12, Vol.96 (12), p.3025-3029
Main Authors: Mackenzie, Lucy S, Tyrrell, Helen, Thomas, Robert, Matharu, Avtar S, Clark, James H, Hurst, Glenn A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Biochemistry
Borax
Chemistry
College students
Composting
Conservation (Environment)
Crosslinking
Energy
Energy sources
Experiments
Food
Gelation
Gels
Household wastes
Laboratory Experiments
Organic chemistry
Pectin
Polyvinyl alcohol
Recycling
Rheological properties
Rheology
Safety
Science Instruction
Shear thinning (liquids)
Sol-gel processes
Students
Thinning
Undergraduate Students
Viscometry
Viscosity
Wastes
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Summary:A laboratory experiment was developed to introduce students to waste valorization. This is the process of reusing, recycling, or composting from wastes, useful products, or sources of energy. In this laboratory experiment, waste valorization is demonstrated through transforming waste orange peel (WOP) into a marmalade-type gel by extracting a pectin-based mixture (or sol) and forming a gel in combination with an acidified sugar solution. Upon isolating the pectin sol, students examined how the rheological properties varied as a function of temperature using capillary viscometry. Gelation was followed via rotational viscometry, and non-Newtonian, shear-thinning properties were demonstrated by monitoring the viscosity change as a function of spindle RPM. In addition to providing a safe and green alternative to the traditional borax-cross-linked poly­(vinyl alcohol) gel for students to study, this experiment demonstrates that valuable products for everyday use can be created from household waste such as WOP. Students making the transition from a first to second year undergraduate chemistry program within a natural-sciences degree have successfully conducted this laboratory experiment.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b01009