Computer simulation and experimental molecular distillation of olive pomace oil deodorizer distillate - A comparative study

Olive pomace oil deodorizer distillate, a good source of oleic acid, was distilled using molecular distillation. In the present study, temperatures during this process ranged from 110 °C to 190 °C, while pressures were 6.67 Pa, 66.7 Pa, and 667 Pa. Changes in fatty acid concentrations as well as yields of distillate and residual streams were recorded experimentally. The molecular distillation process was then simulated with two different methods to observe the differences in fatty acid composition between real and computational studies using a commercial process simulator. A flash separation vessel was chosen to demonstrate short-path evaporator. Maximum distillate yield was experimentally obtained as 78.52% at 190 °C and 6.67 Pa, with a split ratio of 3.65. The results obtained from use of the two simulation methods were in good correlation with the experimental data. Oleic acid concentrations from the two different simulation methods at 190 °C and 667 Pa were calculated as about 71%, while the experimental concentration was 73.79% at this condition. The use of a simulation procedure would be a guide for further industrial distillation processes.