After oil is extracted from sunflower seeds, a protein-rich "press cake" or meal remains. Traditionally used only as low-value animal feed, this project upcycles the meal into high-quality human food. Sunflower protein is unique because it is not a major allergen and has a neutral flavor profile. By extracting the protein isolates, the project creates a sustainable, local source of protein that reduces reliance on imported soy while utilizing industrial oil-pressing by-products.
The sunflower meal undergoes alkaline extraction followed by isoelectric precipitation to isolate the proteins. To achieve a "meat-like" texture, the isolated protein is processed through a twin-screw extruder (High Moisture Extrusion Cooking). This aligns the plant proteins into long, fibrous structures that mimic the mouthfeel of animal muscle tissue.
Sunflower husks and rice straw are high-volume agricultural residues that are often burnt in fields. This project converts them into high-surface-area biochar. By creating a composite of the two residues, the resulting biochar gains a varied pore structure—the rice straw provides micro-pores while the sunflower husk provides macro-pores. This engineered composite is exceptionally efficient at trapping diverse pollutants from industrial wastewater.
The mixed biomass is dried and subjected to slow pyrolysis at temperatures between 400°C and 600°C in an oxygen-limited environment. The biochar is then chemically "activated" using a mild acid or base to increase its functional groups. The final composite is packed into filtration columns where wastewater is passed through, allowing the biochar to adsorb contaminants via ion exchange and physical trapping.
