• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.168-177
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• 2015

Shell waste from the butter clam Saxidomus purpuratus and littleneck clam Ruditapes philippinarum is a large by-product of shellfish aquaculture, and it is desirable to convert it into value-added products for industrial applications. In this study, calcium carbonate (CaC) polymorphs from butter clam (BCSP) and littleneck clam (LCSP) shell powders and commercial CaC were characterized using Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the optimal calcination conditions to eliminate organic substances and improve solubility for both BCSP and LCSP were $800^{\circ}C$ for 8 h in an electrical furnace. Calcination improved the white index of the butter clam (BCCP) and littleneck clam (LCCP) calcined powder compared with shell powders. The calcium content in BCCP (51.1%) was higher than that of LCCP (44.9%) or commercial calcium oxide (CaO, 44.7%). The XRD patterns of BCCP and LCCP were similar to that of CaO. Cubic-like crystals of CaC and irregular crystals of BCCP and LCCP were observed by SEM. The FT-IR and XRD analyses revealed the presence of calcite and aragonite in the BCSP and aragonite in the LCSP, whereas the CaC contained calcite. These results indicate that butter and littleneck clam shells are potential biomass resources for calcium carbonate and calcium oxide.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.436-444
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• 2016

Clamshells, which comprise more than 50% of a clam’s weight, are a major byproduct of the clam industry and are mainly composed of insoluble calcium carbonate. This study investigates the use of clamshells as a natural calcium resource. Highly soluble powdered calcium lactate (LCCL) was prepared from the calcined powdered shells of littleneck clams (LCCP) using response surface methodology (RSM) to predict optimum conditions. These conditions, as derived from pH, solubility, and yield of 11 LCCLs manufactured according to the RSM model, were 1.80 M lactic acid and 1.13 M LCCP. The actual values of pH (6.98), solubility (93.99%), and yield (351.23%) under the optimized conditions were as predicted. The derived LCCL exhibited a strong buffering capacity in the range of pH 2.78-3.90 when combined with less than 2 mL of 1 N HCl. The ranges of calcium content and solubility of LCCL were 7.7-17.5 g/100 g and 96.6-98.9%, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the LCCL identified it as calcium lactate pentahydrate, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed an irregular and rod-like microstructure. These results confirm the potential use of clamshells, converted to highly soluble organic acid calcium, as an additive to enhance calcium content in food ingredients.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-327
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• 2015

The optimal condition for preparation of powdered calcium acetate (LCCA) which has high solubility, from calcined powder (LCCP) of the littleneck clam shell by response surface methodology (RSM) was examined. Increased molar ratio of LCCP led to reduced solubility, yield, color values, and overall quality. The critical values of multiple response optimization of independent variables were 2.57 M of acetic acid and 1.57 M of LCCP. The actual values (pH 7.0, 96.1% for solubility, and 220.9% for yield) under the optimized condition were similar to the predicted values. LCCA showed strong buffering capacity between pH 4.89 and 4.92 on addition of ~2 mL of 1 N HCl. The calcium content and solubility of LCCA were 21.9-23.0 g/100 g and 96.1-100.1%, respectively. The FT-IR and XRD patterns of LCCA were identified as calcium acetate monohydrate, and FESEM images revealed an irregular and rod-like microstructure.