CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURES

Members:

Arciaga, Tristan Jedidiah

Bidua, Kurt

Gajol, Trisha

Megio, Jona

Sales, Kenmathew Jay

Solmirano, Philip Joseph

Sta. Catalina, Shaira

Hydrochloric Acid

“Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution

of hydrogen chloride gas. Hydrochloric acid is produced in the United States

primarily by four basic methods: the chlorination of organic chemicals; the

combination of hydrogen and chlorine; the salt-sulfuric acid production

process; and, as a co-product in the manufacture of silica. Most hydrochloric

acid is produced from the chlorination of organic chemicals with much smaller

amounts from the other processes. Some Hydrochloric acid by combining hydrogen

and chlorine in "acid burners" are produced. The resulting hydrogen chloride gas

is then absorbed in demineralized water to yield a high purity hydrochloric

acid. Hydrochloric acid is an important and widely used chemical. The largest end

uses for hydrochloric acid are steel pickling, oil well acidizing, food

manufacturing, producing calcium chloride, and ore processing. Hydrochloric

acid is also used in other food processing applications including the production of

hydrolyzed vegetable protein and soy sauce. It is used in acidulating crushed bones

for the manufacture of gelatin and as an acidifier for products such as sauces,

vegetable juices and canned goods. Hydrochloric acid is also consumed in the

production of artificial sweeteners and in the production of lysine, choline

chloride (both used primarily as animal feed additives) and citric acid”

(Hydrochloric Acid Handbook, 2012).

“HCl is produced in various processes, such as in the reaction between NaCl

and H2SO4, or by direct synthesis from H2 and Cl2. HCl is also a major by-product
in chemical processes when organic compounds are synthesised. It is produced in

solutions up to 38 % (w/w) (concentrated grade) equivalent to 12 M (pH -1.1). HCl

is used in the manufacture of chemicals, pulp and paper (although substituted in

most enterprises by now), metal products, food products and beverages and in the

extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas, in purification of water and treatment

of sewage, and as a general disinfectant”. (Hagen & Järnberg, 2009)

A study conducted by Zhang et al., 2010 utilized Hydrochloric Acid when

it comes to producing their own laboratory scale collagen. According to their

procedure the chicken bones bought for their usage were first stored at – 20oC

before undergoing removal of residual meat, tendon, and marrows. The bones were

then pulverized and broken to about 1 to 2 cm by a hammer mill and subsequently

degreased by n-hexane for approximately 12 hours. Hydrochloric Acid was the

medium used to decalcify the bones. The concentration of the acid was about 4%

HCl and was demineralized by 0.1% Calcium Hydroxide, which was then adjusted

to a neutral pH using HCl once again. The results of the procedure produced an

ultra-fine bone powder with 88.75% of the protein extracted wherein collagen was

at an amount of 86.02%.

A procedure as stated by Pallavicini, Pagliarini, & Peri, 1988, “precipitates

suspended in a sample containing alcalase, after undergoing pH adjustment by

NaOH, incubation, and centrifugation, were to be re-suspended in a minimal

amount of water and such solution would then be acidified to a pH of 3.5 by

hydrochloric acid or HCl in order to inactivate the traces of enzyme activity, which

would then follow a procedure on drying”.

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide derives from sodium carbonate, formerly named “caustic

soda”. In Ancient Egypt, sodium carbonate was already mixed with lime to

synthetize an alkali: the hydroxide ion OH in solution with the sodium ion Na+.

Through the ages, several processes were developed to synthetize it, such as the

Solvay process in 1861. Today, sodium hydroxide is mostly produced by the

electrolysis of a solution of sodium chloride. Sodium hydroxide is one of the most

used chemical substances in laboratory and in industrial environment, in the

manufacture of paper pulp and of various chemical products: plastics, synthetic

textiles, cleaning products for both domestic and industrial use, in the production

of petrol and biodiesel, of soaps or even in the aluminum treatment. It is also a food

additive (E524). Pure sodium hydroxide is a white solid. It is translucent and very

hygroscopic (great ability to attract and hold water molecules). It reacts easily with

the water from the air or from any wet surface (phenomenon of deliquescence). The

dissolving of caustic soda in water may be accompanied by heat release. It is sold

as: chips, flakes, granules, blocks, cubes or in aqueous solution. In the industrial

environment, the most concentrated liquid form of sodium hydroxide is 50%, but

then it is very viscous.” (Prevor, 2011)

“Caustic soda can be produced by electrolytic process. Brine, prepared from

sodium chloride (NaCl), is electrolyzed in either a membrane cell or a diaphragm

cell. The production of caustic soda (NaOH) also results in the co-products of

chlorine and hydrogen. In the membrane process, a solution of approximately 32%

in strength is formed. The solution is then sent to evaporators, which concentrate it

to strength of 50% by removing the appropriate amount of water. The diaphragm

process is similar to the membrane process except that a solution of only 10- 12%

is formed in the cell. Again, additional evaporation is required to reach the saleable

concentration of 50%. The caustic soda solution is inventoried in storage tanks prior

to shipment. The product is shipped via pipelines, tank trucks, railcars, barges and

ships. The major difference in the two grades is the amount of starting material

(sodium chloride) remaining in the final product. Membrane grade caustic soda will

have less than 100 ppm of the sodium chloride remaining in the product. Diaphragm

grade material will have less than 0.2% sodium chloride. Several other differences

can be seen in the products when the specification sheets are compared. (Caustic

Soda Handbook, 2013)

For the enzymatic hydrolysis of protein from waste using Alcalase, a study

conducted by Guérard, Dufossé, De La Broise, & Binet (2001), the enzymatic

hydrolysis was carried out in a 1-1 reactor that utilized a pH-stat method in

controlled hydrolysis conditions which includes temperature, enzyme

concentration, stirring speed, and pH. Alcalase was added to the sample at an

enzyme/substrate concentration that ranged from 0.2% to 3.0% (wet weight basis).

The pH in question was maintained at a constant desired value, at exactly pH = 8.0,

using Sodium Hydroxide. Reactions were terminated by heating the solution to

95oC for about 20 minutes which assured the inactivation of the enzyme.

Pallavicini et al. (1988) stated in their study, regarding the effect of a

proteolytic enzyme preparation on proteins, that “samples are often adjusted with

2N NaOH to a pH of 7.5, after which, alcalase was added in liquid form which was
determined to be suitable for food use. The solution was incubated in a water bath

at a temperature of 37oC without shaking. During said incubation, the solutions

turbidity gradually increased and were collected via centrifugation at 1500 x g for

10 minutes.