The relevancy of cashew nut is not a one-product stop. The end-product of cashew fits in many sectors, making cashew and its nuts a polydisperse material. Cashew nutshell oil (CSNL) is an extract that contains structurally modified derivatives with unique characteristics.
Sample of Cashew Nutshell Oil (CSNL)
The CNSL’s phenolic structure and functionality make it valuable for various chemical reactions and applications. The main biological effects of Cashew nutshell oil (CNSL) come from its anacardic acid component, while its cardanol substituent is significant for polymer and other scientific applications.
Thrashing cashew nuts because the seed has no use is like throwing away crude oil and its massive wealth. No wonder, the ignorance allows many in the cashew nut industry to value only the cashew nut, leaving the shells to their negligible value. The shells often contain impurities and must undergo a separation process before oil can be extracted.
Process of Extracting Cashew Nutshell Oil (CSNL)
The oil extraction process begins with manually emptying cashew shells into an underground storage area. An elevator raises the shells to an overhead hopper, which delivers them to a magnetic drum to remove iron foreign particles.
Refined shells are collected in an underground storage area and then pass through shoots to a heating kettle or expeller for oil extraction. The extracted oil is collected in an underground raw oil tank, where unwanted particles settle at the bottom through sedimentation.
Clean oil is pumped to an oil heating tank, where it is heated to 250 degrees and a deformer is added to remove foam. The oil heating tanks are supplied with steam from a boiler, typically fired by wood or shell cakes.
After the batch process, the deformed oil is transferred to another underground tank and then cooled before being transferred to an overhead storage tank for sale in barrels. The residue or shell cakes are collected in an underground storage area and then either packed in gunny bags for sale or used as fuel to fire the boiler. While the Cashew nutshell oil (CSNL) is gotten.
Benefits of Cashew nut shell oil (CSNL)
Medical advantages
A news report from Medical Dialogues that covers the latest developments in health and medicine announced that the use of cashew nut shell oil (CSNL) can help to cure oral infections. Oral diseases affect half of the world’s population, with dental caries being the most prevalent condition.
The study evaluated the anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity of natural and technical cashew nut shell liquid against streptococci and enterococci related to dental caries and chronic apical periodontitis.
Both substances showed effective antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against the strains used in the study, except the viability of para sanguist cells treated with technical cashew nut shell liquid.
The findings of the Cashew nutshell oil (CSNL) study have been published in the Archives of Oral Biology. The anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity of natural and technical cashew nut shell liquid act against streptococci and enterococci related to dental caries and chronic apical periodontitis.
Both substances showed effective antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against the strains used in a study, except the viability of para sanguist cells treated with technical cashew nut shell liquid.
Fuel advantages
Cashew nutshell oil (CNSL) serves as fuel for furnaces in factories, particularly in the smelting of aluminum, steel, silicates, bricks, iron, and other materials. Mixing fuel oil with CNSL or completely replacing fuel oil with CNSL can reduce costs while maintaining the same fuel and heat output.
CNSL is also used as an industrial fuel in cold areas, as it is a high calorific firing material with a low price for factories.
Industrial Advantages
The use of Cashew nutshell oil (CNSL) to create industrial-based products includes fungicides, pesticides, insecticides, brake linings, paints, primers, foundry chemicals, lacquers, cement, specialty coatings, resins, and surfactants. CNSL has been shown to serve as an additive in various industries, including adhesives, high-grade paints, waterproof coatings, electronic boards, rubber, lacquer, pesticides, glue additives, and friction powder.
Ongoing Research
Cashew nutshell oil (CNSL) has influence on the production of bacteriostatic antibiotics, plant acid levels, wood preservation, and pressure treatment activity is a growing area of research.
Other advantages
CNSL is used in the production of brake lining and is an auxiliary material for activated carbon.
CNSL is also a flammable solvent and a liquid.
Conclusion
The cashew nutshell is still important for extracting the cashew nuts. This can also help to improve the economic value and benefits of our society. The oil extra from the cashew nutshell is important in several sectors like medicine, fuel, industry, ongoing research, and others. What are you waiting for? It is time to take advantage of the opportunity of cashew nutshell oil (CSNL).
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