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Simulation and optimization of supercritical fluid purification of phytosterol esters
Author(s) -
Fornari Tiziana,
Torres Carlos F.,
Señoráns F. Javier,
Reglero Guillermo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.11728
Subject(s) - phytosterol , chemistry , yield (engineering) , supercritical fluid , extraction (chemistry) , supercritical fluid extraction , countercurrent exchange , chromatography , raw material , supercritical carbon dioxide , distillation , fractional distillation , organic chemistry , process (computing) , separation process , thermodynamics , physics , computer science , operating system
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction to separate phytosterol esters from fatty acid esters and tocopherols was simulated and optimized using the group contribution equation of state. Experimental extraction data at 328 K, pressures ranging from 200 to 280 bar and solvent‐to‐feed ratio around 25, was employed to verify the performance of the thermodynamic model. The raw material is the product obtained after a two‐step enzymatic reaction carried out on soybean oil deodorizer distillates, and contains mainly fatty‐acid ethyl esters, tocopherols and phytosterol esters. The extraction process was simulated using model substances to represent the complex multicomponent feed material. Nonlinear programming techniques were applied to find out optimal process conditions for a steady‐state countercurrent process with partial reflux of the extract. The process optimization procedure predicts that a product with 94.2 wt % of phytosterol ester purity and 80% yield could be achieved. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009