New trends in extraction-process intensification: Hybrid and sequential green technologies

What if agricultural waste was actually a hidden treasure trove waiting to be unlocked by green chemistry? A comprehensive new survey dives into how combining cutting-edge extraction technologies can transform leftover biomass into high-value products.

Modern science is transforming how we view waste, merging Green Chemistry and the Circular Economy into a powerful "Green Extraction" approach. By treating leftovers from various production chains as valuable resources, researchers aim to create high-value products from residual biomass safely and sustainably—a philosophy proudly dubbed "benign-by-design."

To make this vision a reality, enabling technologies are deployed to maximize heat and mass transfer, driving up yields while slashing energy use and production costs. But as global demands rise, single solutions are no longer enough. The latest strategy combines two or more enabling technologies in sequential or simultaneous systems, dramatically supercharging process intensification.

A comprehensive five-year literature survey now maps out these hybrid and coupled green-extraction technologies. By highlighting their distinct strategies, achievements, and technology readiness levels, the study reveals how synergistic combinations can optimize biomass pretreatment and metabolite dissolution, paving the way for future breakthroughs in extraction research.

Key Points

• Merging Green Chemistry and the Circular Economy
• Combining technologies to supercharge process intensification
• Reviewing hybrid and coupled green-extraction strategies