Sustainable Adsorptive Separation of Arbutin from Pear Leaves
Process Development, Integration, and Techno-Economic-Environmental Analysis
Custom Labelled Veld 1
MSCA_PF-KKarimi[03]
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Chemical Engineering
The department of Chemical Engineering of the VUB has the ambition to stay at the forefront of the research on liquid chromatography and adsorptive separations, and expand its activities into other areas of low-energy cost liquid-phase separation techniques, such as membrane separations and micro-scale extractions. The group largely owes its international reputation to the fact that it has positioned itself as a group developing innovative solutions that bridge the gap between the molecular scale and the micro- to millimeter scale of the packing or housing materials typically used in chemical processes. To capitalize on this successful strategy, the group wants to run a dedicated research program focusing on “Exploiting the Advantages of Order and Confinement for a Greener Chemistry”, as a backbone program to grow into one of Europe’s leading Centers of Expertise in separation science.
Beschrijving van het project
This research project focuses on developing an efficient and sustainable adsorptive separation process for extracting arbutin—a high-value bioactive compound with applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and skincare—from pear leaves, an underutilized agricultural byproduct. The study will explore novel adsorption materials (e.g., functionalized resins, biochar, and molecularly imprinted polymers) and integrate the separation process with biorefining strategies to valorize all major components of pear leaves, maximizing resource efficiency and minimizing waste.
A key component involves process integration, where adsorption is coupled with upstream extraction and downstream purification to enhance overall efficiency and product purity. Additionally, a techno-economic analysis (TEA) will assess economic feasibility, including capital and operational costs, while a life cycle assessment (LCA) will evaluate environmental impacts, such as energy consumption, solvent waste, and carbon footprint, ensuring alignment with circular economy principles.
Supervised by Prof. Keikhosro Karimi—a globally recognized leader in Chemical technologies, biomass valorization, and sustainable process engineering—this project benefits from his extensive expertise. Ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists (Stanford University) and author of over 300 peer-reviewed publications, Prof. Karimi brings deep insights into adsorbent design, biorefinery integration, and green chemistry.
The project combines experimental adsorption studies with advanced process modeling and simulation (e.g., Aspen Plus, Python-based optimization) to identify the most sustainable and economically viable pathways. Expected outcomes include:
- Optimized adsorption processes for high-purity arbutin recovery.
- Integrated biorefinery strategies for full pear leaf valorization.
- TEA/LCA frameworks to guide commercial adoption.