One-Pot Combined Hydrodistillation of Industrial Orange Peel Waste for Essential Oils and Pectin Recovery: A Multi-Objective Optimization Study

Jacopo Paini, Giusi Midolo, Francesca Valenti and Gianluca Ottolina ()
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Jacopo Paini: Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta”, National Research Council, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy
Giusi Midolo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Francesca Valenti: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 50, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Gianluca Ottolina: Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “Giulio Natta”, National Research Council, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131 Milan, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Sustainable waste management for orange peel waste is a global concern that presents a concomitant opportunity. In this study, a combined process was developed to optimize the simultaneous recovery of pectin, essential oils, and sugars from industrial orange peel waste. The sequential recovery process was used as a benchmark, while a one-pot combined process was optimized through the design of the experiments. A multi-objective desirability function was computed to maximize process performance while balancing opposing optimal conditions. The aim was to find a model able to confidently predict yields while reducing the process environmental footprint, potentially giving the necessary multi-product flexibility in modern biorefining. As a result, the combined process under optimal conditions, liquid-to-solid ratio of 2.5, pH value of 3.7, and residence time of 130 min, yielded 0.52% of essential oils and 11% of pectin on a dry basis. The environmental factor 18 is relevant to the fine chemicals industry, which is the target sector of this study. Finally, the process mass balance was calculated, demonstrating the opportunity to further enhance process environmental sustainability and efficiency by upgrading the resulting solid fraction.

Keywords: limonene; pectin; orange peel waste; design of experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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