2D zeolite sorbents for selective removal of off-flavor compounds in coconut water

Overview

This solution addresses a key challenge in coconut water processing: the selective removal of off-flavor compounds such as aldehydes and lactones without depleting valuable sugars and salts. Conventional adsorbents like activated carbon lack the selectivity needed for this task, often stripping desirable components along with the unwanted ones. Two-dimensional (2D) MFI zeolite sorbents offer a molecularly precise alternative, leveraging pore size exclusion to reject bulky sugar molecules and hydrated ions while capturing the smaller target compounds responsible for undesirable flavors.

The technology is being developed in collaboration with beverage industry partners to refine coconut water concentrate quality and improve neutralization processes. By combining high selectivity with rapid adsorption-desorption kinetics, 2D zeolites can deliver more efficient and targeted purification than existing approaches.

Technical specifications

• Selective adsorption mechanism: MFI zeolite pore structure excludes bulky sugar molecules and hydrated metal ions through size exclusion while admitting smaller aldehydes, lactones, and similar off-flavor compounds.
• Salt exclusion: Verified to achieve near-complete rejection of metal ions, preserving the mineral content of coconut water concentrate.
• Bulky molecule uptake: Confirmed adsorption of hydrocarbon molecules within MFI zeolite pores, demonstrating effective capture of organic flavor compounds.
• Enhanced kinetics: 2D zeolite architecture enables adsorption and desorption rates approximately 1,000 times faster than conventional bulk zeolite crystals.
• Scalable format: Long-term development pathway includes fiber sorbent configurations to reduce pressure drop and enable process-scale deployment.
• Tunable properties: Ongoing synthesis work focuses on tuning adsorption characteristics of the 2D materials for optimized performance with coconut water matrices.

Technology readiness level

The technology is currently at an early-to-mid stage of development. Proof-of-concept validation has been completed, confirming salt exclusion, hydrocarbon adsorption, and the dramatic kinetic advantages of the 2D morphology. Near-term work involves synthesizing 2D MFI zeolites, tuning their adsorption properties, and testing model chemicals before moving to coconut water concentrate trials. Longer-term efforts will focus on scaling up synthesis, optimizing operating parameters, and integrating fiber sorbent formats for industrial deployment. Partner collaboration is sought for solution composition analysis and process scale-up.