Pilot scale inulin extraction from chicory roots assisted by pulsed electric fields

A pilot study for the pulsed electric fields (PEF) assisted countercurrent diffusion of inulin from chicory roots is presented. The influence of PEF parameters (electric field intensity E = 600 V cm-1, treatment duration tPEF = 1050 ms) and diffusion temperature (varied between 30 and 80 degrees C) on soluble matter extraction kinetics, inulin content of juice, and pulp exhaustion are investigated. The draft (liquid to solid mass ratio) was fixed at 140%, similar to the industrial conditions. PEF treatment facilitates extraction of inulin at conventional diffusion temperature (7080 degrees C), and diffusion temperature can even be reduced by 1015 degrees C with comparable juice inulin concentration. Less energy consumption can be achieved by reducing PEF treatment duration to 10 ms, which is observed sufficient for effective extraction.