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Improving beverage formulation based on economic, environmental, and taste characteristics is an important business development strategy. In this essay, a hypothetical company develops a decaffeinated coffee drink, Decaf. It uses a dissolving and heat treatment method to extract the alkaloid from the beans. Choosing the suitable solvent for this extraction procedure is a strategic part of developing a beverage formulation. This essay will investigate three solvents — water, Methylene Chloride, and Ethyl Acetate — considering their physicochemical and environmental properties.
One of the main arguments of the hypothetical company is the desire to make the final beverage environmentally friendly. This is an excellent marketing and socially conscious commercial practice to attract consumers. Consequently, the choice of solvent must be based on the toxic properties of each of the substances. Pure water has no toxic properties whatsoever. The CDC (2018) reports Methylene Chloride to be a carcinogen and an irritant, but trace amounts of the remaining solvent after drying are significantly lower than the FDA-approved standard. Finally, Ethyl Acetate is a less toxic substance but can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and irritability with prolonged use (ACS, 2019). In other words, from an environmental perspective, water is the best choice.
Any dissolution process is primarily the physical stirring of caffeine in a solvent medium. Since the caffeine molecule has a slight polarity, the solvent should also be polar to increase the force of attraction between them. This will create the basis for faster and better solubility of the alkaloid in Decaf. Only Methylene Chloride is not a polar molecule, so it is not the best choice for making a drink. Water and Ethyl Acetate have the molecule’s polarity, so their use is preferable.
Finally, the last criterion is the solubility of caffeine in different media. The figure below shows that Methylene Chloride has the best solubility, Ethyl Acetate comes second, and caffeine dissolves the worst in water. In addition, the fourth type of solvent, Dimethyl Sulfoxide, which is moderately polar and non-toxic, has been proposed (ACS, 2021). The solubility of caffeine in Dimethyl Sulfoxide is higher than in all other variants. Consequently, Dimethyl Sulfoxide has all the necessary characteristics: it is environmentally friendly, polar, and an excellent dissolving agent.
In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing that developing a beverage requires a comprehensive approach. A particular solvent for decaffeinated beverages should be based on company preferences, namely environmental safety, and physical and chemical properties. Dimethyl Sulfoxide was chosen as the best solvent because it meets the requirements. In addition, Dimethyl Sulfoxide dissolves caffeine better than other substances, which means its consumption will be lower. Therefore, this compound should be the best choice for this company.
References
ACS. (2019). Ethyl acetate. American Chemical Society.
ACS. (2021). Dimethyl sulfoxide. American Chemical Society.
CDC. (2018). Methylene chloride. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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