Compositional evaluation of hot-pressed rapeseed cake for the purpose of bioplastic production
¹ERA-Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (VALORTECH), Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr.R. Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51006 Tartu, Estonia
²Chair of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian, University of Life Science, Fr.R. Kreutzwaldi 56/5, EE51006 Tartu, Estonia
*Correspondence: katrin.jogi@student.emu.ee
Abstract:
Rapeseed is widely cultivated for biodiesel or food-grade oil production. As the oil production process generates huge amounts of wastes and by-products (e.g. oil press cake and meal) that have relatively high crude protein content, valorisation as input material for protein-based bioplastics has a lot of potential. There is a limited number of studies undertaken on using rapeseed cake directly (without prior protein extraction) for biomaterial production, but the initial results have been very promising. As rape and turnip rapeseeds are also some of the most harvested crops in Estonia, the rapeseed oil press cake as a by-product is also available from local food-grade rapeseed oil production. In this regard, we investigated locally available rapeseed oil press cake for chemical composition and explored suitability for bioplastic production. The results indicate suitability for direct biomaterial production, meaning properties for biomaterial formation could be further explored.
Key words:
biomaterial, bioplastic, by-product, rapeseed cake, valorisation