Eco-Friendly Principles on the Extraction of Humic Acids Intensification from Biosubstrates

Abstract

It is necessary to find innovative ways to improve the environmental performance of production processes and products. The technology of extracting valuable components from raw materials of plant origin is often used in technological processes of the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and other industries. Extraction is the most energy intensive step. The factors contributing to the extraction of humic acids from plant substrates under the action of electric discharge were studied. The purpose of the work was to study the efficiency of humic acids extraction from the biosubstrate under the action of electric discharges. The physical experiment showed that the main factor influencing the intensity of extraction is the degree of grinding of the solid phase of the biosubstrate-water suspension. The efficiency of electric discharge grinding depends on the pressure amplitude at the distance of the inner radius of the chamber and the number of discharge pulses. It was established that the number of chemical reagents (alkalis), usually used in the process of extracting humic acids from peat, can be reduced many times due to the appearance of radicals and peroxide compounds in the peat-water suspension resulting from the action of an electric discharge. The prospects of the non-thermal electric discharge method of intensification of the extraction of humic acids from biosubstrates were determined.