ABSTRACT
Patents are important tools to protect innovations in the food industry. They are also indicators of the research and development of an institution. Universities play a significant role in generating and developing innovative technologies. Center for Support to Technological Development (CDT is the Technological innovation center (NIT) that is responsible for protecting the technologies developed by the academic community of the University of Brasilia (UnB). This case study analyzes the patents and patent applications related to food deposited by the UnB. For this purpose, a search was conducted on the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) institutional page through the patent database. The results show diverse applications to the food area that are mainly related to biotechnology. Half of the protections are still in progress in the INPI workflow. The requirements issued were primarily related to national genetic heritage. Archiving processes were identified due to non-payment, but we highlighted that it could be a strategic decision of NIT/CDT. Rejections were mainly related to the lack of novelty or inventive steps. Currently, two food-related patents are in force that took, on average, nine and a half years to be granted. Although UnB exclusively owns the majority, the results also evidence co-ownership with other universities and companies. Finally, this study highlights possible partnerships between UnB and the food industry through technology transfer. The technology transfer indicators pointed out that UnB has expertise in this area and that there is a potential to be explored. These results contribute to strategic decision-making in developing new technologies related to food and nutrition and their transfer to society. The scale-up and the increased degree of maturity require greater interaction with the productive sector to ensure the transfer of technology for innovation arising from the research conducted at UnB.
ABSTRACT
Many specialized technologies are available to convert waste biomass into secondary products that have a higher value and are more convenient to process than the original feedstock. This study evaluated the potential of waste pequi seeds to produce high-quality charcoal for subsequent gasification into low-tar producer gas for heat engine applications. We focused on the characterization of pequi seeds, the derived charcoal, and the collected bio-oil from slow pyrolysis conversion of the feedstock. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were conducted to assess gasification performance of the parent biomass and its charcoal. We also investigated the thermal degradation kinetics of pequi seeds through non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, a two-step energy-extraction analysis was performed for the carbonization of the parent biomass and further utilization of its charcoal in an integrated gasification gas-engine cycle. Slow pyrolysis of pequi seeds (2 °C min-1, 430 °C) produced up to 40% of high-grade charcoal with 60% fixed carbon, 43% of bio-oil, and 16% of light gases. The overall energy extraction efficiency was estimated as 61%, based on the higher heating value of wet pequi seeds. The investigation confirmed that waste pequi seeds could be considered a promising renewable energy source for combined heat and power generation for the Brazilian agro-food industry.