Extraction from Amber Raw Materials under Electric Spark Action

Abstract

The paper presents the results of extraction from amber, which was subjected to high-voltage electric pulse treatment in order to intensify the extraction of target components. This method of processing made it possible to achieve a high degree of grinding of the material and the occurrence of additional micro- and macropores, which increased a total contact area of the phases required for an effective process of extracting raw materials. The processing was carried out in chambers of a high-voltage pulse-periodic generator with storage capacities of 0.25 and 1.0 μF, an output voltage of 50 kV, and different number of pulses for the corresponding capacitance. Amber stones with an average size of 8.2 mm were selected for research. The process was carried out in an alcoholic medium with different electrical characteristics. The dependences of variations in the dry matter content, total mineralization, content of organic acids, active acidity pH, and optical density in the extract on the number of discharges at different pulse energies were obtained as a result. The density of amber before and after processing was determined, which showed the ability of electric spark discharges to create additional porosity of the material necessary to ensure effective internal mass transfer. The results of the study can be used for the industrial implementation of electrospark processing of amber in order to obtain extracts with a complex of useful substances applicable in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.