From laboratory to scale-up by modelling in two cases of β-carotene extraction from vegetable products

• Batch extraction of β-carotene from vegetal materials was modelled.
• Influence of temperature, liquid–solid ratio and solvent type was estimated.
• An external diffusion model was considered for species extraction from rose hip.
• Species extraction from carrot noodle was described by an internal diffusion model.
• The models were used for the countercurrent multistage procedure scale-up.

The laboratory investigation of β-carotene separation from rose hip fruits (RHFs) powder and carrot noodles (CNs) was analyzed by means of mathematical modelling, in order to develop models for process scale-up. The developed models contain parameters characterizing species transport inside and outside of vegetal material particle as well as species interphase equilibrium distribution. The model parameters were estimated by experimental data capitalization. The solvent type, liquid–solid ratio and extraction temperature were selected as process factors in β-carotene extraction. Having a significant influence on the process yield, these factors determined the values of model parameters. A model based on process control by external diffusion of extracted species and particle swelling was adopted for β-carotene extraction from RHFs, whereas an internal diffusion one was chosen to describe the process in the case of β-carotene extraction from CNs. The model parameters were identified by least squares method using theoretical and experimental data characterizing the dynamics of species extraction yield. The scale-up of counter current multistage extraction was performed through analysis of the processes studied at laboratory level.

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