Microwave-Assisted Processes Division
Research Capacity: The MAP Division performs research and development on various 'clean process' applications of Environment Canada's patented Microwave-Assisted Processes (MAP ').
The MAP ' technology uses microwaves, and solvents which are relatively transparent to microwaves, to extract chemicals from various matrices. When compared with conventional extraction and sample preparation methods the MAP ' reduces production time, energy, solvent consumption and waste production while increasing extraction yields and extract purity. These advantages not only reduce operating costs but result in a more environmentally friendly process.
(Note: MAP ' is a Trademark of Her Majesty the Queen in the Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of the Environment.)
Projects Undertaken: Laboratory-Scale: Equipment design for liquid-, gas-, and supercritical fluid-phase extractors. Method development for liquid-, gas-, and supercritical fluid-phase extraction of a number of analytes from a broad range of matrices (e.g. contaminants from soil, water, and air quality filters; nutrients from foodstuffs; drugs and pesticides residues from animal and plant tissues; alcohol from liquid matrices; metabolites in tissues; etc. Enhancement of extraction efficiency of CO2 under liquid and supercritical fluid conditions. Product development and testing (e.g. flavours & fragrances; coloring; medicinal substances; etc.). QA/QC and process monitoring. Industrial-Scale: Environmental: Removal of contaminants from soil and rendering waste streams acceptable for discharge while removing valuable products. Agri-Food: Improvement of the process to extract flavours, fragrances, coloring, essential oils from plant material; extraction of natural pesticides from plant material and valuable compounds from biomass. Pharmaceutical: Extraction of new drugs. Process Engineering: Process control & monitoring. Engineering Design and engineering services for pilot- and industrial-scale extraction units for various sectors.
Research Organization: Environment Canada, which owns the intellectual property rights for this technology in several countries, is currently investigating further applications of the technology as solutions to a number of environmental problems. The research and development of these techniques is performed mainly by the MAP Division at the Environmental Technology Centre in collaboration with representatives of the private sector, NGOs and OGAs. The staff of the MAP Division includes research scientists, engineers and chemists with expertise in the areas of analytical chemistry, food chemistry, and industrial and environmental technology.
LICENSEES:
Environment Canada currently has eight licensees to effectively promote and implement the commercialisation of MAP: Radient Technologies Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada - pilot facilities for product development and large-scale industrial applications worldwide; CanAmera Foods (now part of Bunge), Oakville, ON, Canada - industrial processing of selected oilseeds worldwide; CEM Corporation, Matthews, NC, USA ' liquid solvent analytical equipment worldwide; Socit PROLABO, Paris, France ' liquid solvent analytical equipment worldwide; Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, CA, USA ' analytical equipment worldwide; SAIREM, Lyon, France - engineering, design, and equipment for industrial applications worldwide; Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan ' solvent-less analytical equipment worldwide; SAIC Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada - environmental applications worldwide.
Company Details
Company Information
J.R. Jocelyn Par
Title:
Manager
Area of Responsibility:
Research/Development/Engineering
Telephone:
(613) 990-9122
Fax:
(613) 990-2855
Email:
Click Here
J. R. Jocelyn Pare
Email:
Click Here
Products
Environmental Products And Services
Microwave-assisted Processes (map ').
Industrial applications of the MAP ' technology include the extraction of natural products, such as essential oils, flavours, fragrances, coloring, pharmaceuticals, and bio-pesticides from plant material. Conventional methods of extracting these substances use large volumes of solvents and require a significant amount of energy. MAP ' uses a smaller volume of solvents. In fact, MAP ' uses solvents that are either fully or partially transparent to microwaves, which allows for selective and localized heating of particular components within the material being treated, without using excessive energy to heat the complete mixture. The resulting increases in localized temperature and pressure cause the target compounds to migrate from the material to the relatively cold solvent surrounding which, in turn, traps and dissolves them. Consequently, high diffusivity solvents are no longer required, often leading to the use of solvents with reduced toxicity levels. These two factors - smaller volumes and less toxic solvents - provide for unprecedented low exposure levels for personnel performing these extraction tasks. Furthermore, the energy consumption is significantly reduced, when compared to steam distillation for example, as a result of the direct and selective deposition of energy to the material being extracted instead of the broad and random energy distribution associated with conventional processes. The MAP Division has been evaluating the processing of a variety of products on the laboratory, and large-scale (ca. 1,000 kg slurry/h). A bench-scale unit has been developed to investigate a wider variety of testing parameters to assist with the development of industrial process designs. In the field of extraction, to effectively promote and implement the commercialisation of the MAP applications and to promote technical support to end-users, Environment Canada has entered into a number of commercial license agreements that reflect the versatility of the technologies. These licensees and their field of use are as follows: Radient Technologies Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada - pilot facilities for product development and large-scale industrial applications worldwide; also offers toll-processing for small to medium-size productions; the main commercialisation arm of the MAP technology; CanAmera Foods (now part of Bunge), Oakville, ON, Canada - industrial processing of selected oilseeds worldwide; CEM Corporation, Matthews, NC, USA - liquid solvent analytical equipment worldwide; Socit PROLABO, Paris, France - liquid solvent analytical equipment worldwide; Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, CA, USA - analytical equipment worldwide; SAIREM, Lyon, France - engineering, design, and equipment for industrial applications worldwide; Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto, Japan - solvent-less analytical equipment worldwide; SAIC Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada - environmental applications worldwide. When developing new applications or new technologies, the Microwave-Assisted Processes Division works closely with industrial sector stakeholders and its various licensees, be it for the development of analytical methods or industrial processes.
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