Cashew shell skin#

Its suitability as a supplementary fuel for thermal application TheĪvailability and fuel analysis of the cashew shell as a fuel revealed The thermogravimetricĪnalysis revealed that 85% weight of cashew nut shell has beenĭegraded at 500 ∘C and in 13 minutes. The average higher calorific value of the cashew nut Total weight of cashew seed, which can be utilized as fuel for thermalĮnergy supply. In small-scale cashew processing industries was found to be 67.5% of Process with average energy consumption accounted to be 2969.7 MJ perġ000 kg of raw cashew seed. The small-scale cashew processing industries followed steam-cooking

The thermogravimetric analysis of theĬashew shell was carried out using TG-FTIR withġ0 ∘C/minute heating rate. The calorific value of the cashew shell was carried out usingīomb calorimeter (ASTME 711). Of cashew shell waste was carried out using ASTMD 73–75 We don’t have great alternatives, but until scientists figure it out, trying to make your own is probably not the best call: As the chemists behind this paper showed, there’s a lot of technical chemistry involved in choosing a chemical that absorbs UV light in a useful way, even if its starting materials are ones we’re all familiar with.The energy and mass flow of the steam cooking operation of three readilyĭefined small-scale cashew processing industries was studied toĮstimate the availability of cashew nut shell.

Cashew shell skin#

For now, sunscreen is still the safest way to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful UV rays (other than staying in the shade) and is an important part of preventing skin cancer. Unfortunately, these concerns have led some people to stop using sunscreen or to try making their own DIY sunscreen at home. Furthermore, recent research from the FDA has raised concerns that some compounds from conventional sunscreen can enter the bloodstream when used at very high concentrations. In addition to the concerns about oxybenzone in the environment, this week, scientists showed in Environmental Science and Technology that some metals and inorganic compounds in sunscreen, like titanium dioxide and aluminum, also harm marine life when they dissipate into the sea. There’s a lot of room for innovation in the sunscreen space these days, as the chemicals we’ve relied on for years don’t seem to be as benign as we always thought. The question now is whether the compounds are toxic to humans and aquatic life - and just as importantly, whether the chemical process that makes them is actually as green as the green chemists’ ethos. This discovery is promising because it’s green: Using cashew nut shells as a starting material for sunscreens means repurposing materials otherwise bound for the trash, which is already far more sustainable than relying on petroleum dredged from the Earth. Some traditional sunscreen compounds are increasingly controversial because of their harmful effect on marine life. The molecular structure of these compounds gives them the ability to absorb those high-energy UVA and UVB rays before they hit the skin, re-releasing them as lower-energy rays. Sunscreen’s active ingredients are often compounds that can absorb, reflect, and scatter high-energy UV light, which can cause harmful damage to DNA and cause burns. The compounds that can be synthesized from “cashew nut shell liquid,” the team suggests, not only absorb UV radiation but also are derived from organic waste instead of fossil fuels.

One of those common compounds is oxybenzone, which is not only harmful to marine life but also derived from petroleum. Some of the UV-blocking chemicals they commonly use appear to threaten marine organisms, like coral and the animals living within it, when they wash off into the sea, and furthermore, they don’t biodegrade easily. The news comes at a good time, because conventional sunscreens are becoming increasingly controversial.

The seed at the bottom of the cashew 'apple' is the nut, encased in a chemical-rich shell.