Solubility of Jatropha and Aquilaria oils in supercritical carbon dioxide at elevated pressures

This study investigated experimental equilibrium solubilities of Jatropha curcas and Aquiliaria crassna oils dissolved in supercritical carbon dioxide at temperatures of 318-338 K and pressures of 20, 25, 30, 35 MPa. The highest solubility of J. curcas and A. crassna oil were 29.8 and 28.4 mg L−1, respectively, at 338 K and 35 MPa. The oil solubilities and the concentration of triglycerides both increased with increasing temperature and pressure. Triglyceride molecules surrounded by carbon dioxide molecules may be proposed since solubilities increased with the flux of supercritical carbon dioxide. The solubility of these two oils linearly increased with the density of supercritical carbon dioxide. Experimental data of the oil solubility were successfully correlated by the Chrastil equation.