Deacidification of rice bran oil by liquid–liquid extraction using a renewable solvent

• Refining of vegetable oils.
• Deacidification of rice bran oil by liquid–liquid extraction using ethanol as solvent.
• Mass transfer coefficients of free fatty acid were evaluated.
• Phosphorus and nutraceutical compounds influenced the extraction process.
• Low losses in neutral oil, tocols and γ-oryzanol were observed.

The deacidification of rice bran oil by continuous liquid–liquid extraction using aqueous ethanol as the solvent was investigated in a perforated rotating disc column (PRDC). The influence of partial acylglycerols and minor compounds, such as phosphorus and nutraceutical compounds, on the free fatty acid mass transfer was observed. The experimental results show that total deacidification by solvent extraction is feasible. The losses in neutral oil, tocols and γ-oryzanol were significantly lower than those reported in the literature for alkali or physical refining of rice bran oil. A simulation of the extraction process was also performed, and the simulated results were in good agreement with the experimental data.