Phase Equilibrium Engineering of Jojoba Oil Extraction with Liquid CO2+Propane

C. PALLA; P. HEGEL; G. MABE; S. PEREDA; E. BRIGNOLE

Iguazu Falls

Conferencia; Properties and Phase Equilibria for Products and Process Design; 2013

Universidad Nacional del Sur y Universidade Federal de Rio de Janiero

Jojoba oil is an important ingredient of many cosmetic and hair care products, which is composed by high-molecular weight monounsaturated esters. It is a liquid wax extracted from the seeds of Jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis) by mechanical pressing, followed by hexane extraction of the pre-pressed Jojoba meal. Health and environmental concern associated with the use of solvents like hexane, have place new demands on the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry to invest in clean technologies such as the Supercritical Fluid Extraction. Previous studies on phase equilibria of jojoba oil and CO2+propane mixtures have shown that these liquid mixtures are a good option regarding solvent power, selectivity and safety. High solvent load capacities can be obtained using mixed solvent with CO2 concentrations up to 70 wt.% working at 313 K and 200 bar. In this work the experimental extraction of jojoba oil by high pressure liquid CO2/propane solvent mixtures was studied. First, free jojoba oil was extracted at 313 K using different liquid solvent concentrations (30 wt%, 50 wt% and 70 wt% CO2) at pressures of 70 bar and 200 bar to assess the influence of the solvent composition and phase behavior on the extraction rate. Then, high pressure liquid extractions of jojoba oil from its seeds were carried out using solvent mixtures containing 30 wt% and 50 wt% CO2 at 70 bar and different conditions of temperature (313 K and 333 K). It was determined a great influence of the phase condition on the extraction rate. A mixed liquid solvent with 30 wt% CO2 exhibit good solvent power and oil extraction yields of 98 % was obtained using a solvent to oilseed mass ratio of 8 g solvent / g oilseed, operating the extractor at 313 K and 70 bar.