Recovery and kinetics study of isoelectric precipitation of sunflower protein in a tubular precipitator

Abstract

In this research, up to 97% w/w and 65% w/w of the proteins in the laboratory and industrially defatted sunflower meals, respectively, were extracted using aqueous alkaline solutions at pH 10.0. Up to 84% of these soluble proteins were recovered as solids when the pH was lowered from 10.0 to 4.0 (isoelectric pH) using aqueous HCl acid. The amount of proteins recovered as solids decreased with decreasing concentrations of the acid. Three types of precipitator configuration were used in this study: the batch, mixed suspension mixed product removal (MSMPR), and the tubular precipitators. Factors affecting the particle size distributions and the solids yield were studied. The batch precipitator was found to produce precipitates with high solids concentrations (yield), but small mean panicle sizes $({