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The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract

Thesis (PhD (Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2022.

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Other Authors: Kornelius, Gerrit
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Kornelius, Gerrit
author_browse Kornelius, Gerrit
author_facet Kornelius, Gerrit
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2022.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:20.940Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/84204 The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract Kornelius, Gerrit schalk.lubbe@agritechnovation.co.za Lubbe, David Schalk UCTD Chemical Engineering Alkaline extraction Biostimulants Durvillaea potatorum Seaweed extracts Thesis (PhD (Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2022. Seaweed extracts (SWEs) comprise the single largest category of agricultural crop biostimulants. The global biostimulants market is much smaller, but faster growing than the markets for either traditional mineral fertilizers or agrochemicals. They are applied at low volumes and concentrations and stimulate plant growth, nutrient use efficiency and stress responses, thus contributing significantly to sustainable crop production. Alkaline extraction is the most often used process to produce SWEs. It can be operated at ambient or elevated temperatures and pressures. The process studied in this work is the Ambient Alkaline Extraction (AAE) process. It benefits from lower energy costs and simpler equipment than the higher temperature processes, at the expense of longer residence times of days rather hours. The seaweed used as biomass raw material was Australian Bull Kelp Durvillaea potatorum. The experimental work was conducted on an existing, successful commercial AAE production plant, as well as pilot (1/64th) and bench (1/1800th) scale plants. The process conditions and relationships have, as far as is known, not been published before for any commercial alkaline extraction plant, and for bench scale work only at elevated temperatures. Measurements were developed to track process conditions relating to overall process yield. In addition, six biostimulant properties of the SWE product, as assessed by the tomato seed germination and growth bio-assay were measured at different SWE concentrations and combinations of process conditions (temperature, alkali concentration, water:biomass ratio and residence times). Statistically significant (P<0.05) biostimulant effects of the SWE were reported for the vast majority of process conditions tested, but also statistically significant effects of process conditions on the quantum of growth stimulation. The results can be used in the design of new production plants or retrofits to existing plants, and in selecting optimal process conditions not only for process yield and throughput, but also for biostimulant effects of the SWE product. In general, there is of course not only a single set of optimal conditions, since conditions for optimal outcomes on different biostimulant parameters can be different, and these can also be different from those for optimal production outcomes such as throughput and yield. Optimal conditions therefore depend on the relative desirability of the different (and in some cases, competing) outcomes. Chemical Engineering PhD (Engineering) Unrestricted 2022-02-25T06:09:00Z 2022-02-25T06:09:00Z 2022-05 2022 Thesis Lubbe, DS 2022, The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria. A2022 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/84204 en © 2022 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Chemical Engineering
Alkaline extraction
Biostimulants
Durvillaea potatorum
Seaweed extracts
The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title_full The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title_fullStr The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title_full_unstemmed The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title_short The effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
title_sort effects of process conditions of an alkaline seaweed extraction process on yield and on biostimulant activity of the extract
topic UCTD
Chemical Engineering
Alkaline extraction
Biostimulants
Durvillaea potatorum
Seaweed extracts
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/84204