Extraction of palm oil using propane, ethanol and its mixtures as compressed solvent

⿢The work presents a study on palm oil extraction using ethanol and propane.⿢The use of propane as solvent provided high yields and apparent solubility.⿢Temperature, pressure and flow rate presented just slight effects on the yields.⿢Ethanol and ethanol/propane mixtures provide yields higher than 50%.⿢Low solubility of carotenoids in ethanol suggests its use as a selective solvent.

This work is aimed to investigate the extraction of palm oil using pressurized ethanol and propane as solvents. The effects of temperature (293⿿333 K), pressure (from 10 to 20 MPa), solvent flow rate (from 1 to 5 mL/min), and composition of the solvent mixture were evaluated on the oil extraction yield, and chemical profile of the extracted oils. The experiments were conducted in a 100 mL extractor coupled to a HPLC pump for ethanol and a syringe pump for the propane displacement. Global yields up to 75 wt% were obtained in the experiments. The kinetic profiles of the extractions were described by the Sovová⿿s model, which presented good agreement with the experimental observations. The palm oils extracted with distinct solvents were characterized regarding its density and viscosity in a temperature range from 293 to 343 K, its chemical profile determined by GC/MS, and carotenoid content.

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