Study of Influential Parameters of the Caffeine Extraction from Spent Coffee Grounds: From Brewing Coffee Method to the Waste Treatment Conditions

This article aims to study the interest of spent coffee grounds (SCG) valorization through caffeine recovery. In an original way, this study takes into account all the parameters such as (i) the brewing coffee methods (household, coffee shops, etc.); (ii) the storage conditions, in particular the drying step; (iii) the solid/liquid extraction parameters such as the nature of solvent, the temperature, the extraction time and the solid/liquid ratio; and (iv) the liquid/liquid purification parameters such as the nature, the volume and the pH of extraction medium. Results have shown that spent coffee grounds from coffee-shops obtained by percolation contain a higher amount of caffeine than spent coffee grounds from households obtained from spent pods or filters. A drying treatment is not required when extraction is performed under one week after the spent coffee grounds collection with 96.4% of not degraded caffeine. Solid/liquid extraction performed with 25 mL.g(-1) (SCG) of hydroalcoholic solvent (water/EtOH, v/v 60/40) at 60 degrees C during 15 min have given a caffeine yield up to 4.67 mg.g(-1) (SCG). When using ethyl acetate, 93.4% of the caffeine has been selectively recovered by liquid/liquid extraction. Finally, the extraction of caffeine for the valorization of spent coffee grounds is a promising and easy way, which fits with an already important and well established market.

Automated summary

This study explores the potential of recovering caffeine from spent coffee grounds, considering various parameters such as brewing methods, storage conditions, extraction parameters, and purification parameters. The results show that extracting caffeine from spent coffee grounds is a promising and straightforward method that aligns with an established market.