The process of winterization consists of fractional crystallization, in which the triglycerides of oils and fats are separate by the partial crystallization in the liquid phase. The objective of this work was to evaluate significant variables and the operational conditions in the solvent winterization process of the fish oil. The crude fish oil from fishery industries was bleached and used as raw material. During the winterization step, the bleached oil was cooled progressively from 30 ºC to 5 ºC in three phases. The solvent type, solvent proportion, and agitation in the second cooling stage were studied. The fatty acid compositions were determined through gas chromatography. Percentage variations of the contents of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids were analyzed. As a result, the use of hexane as solvent, 40% in relation to the oil mass without agitation in the second step of the cooling were recommended. Under such conditions, it were obtained an oil with polyunsaturated fatty acid content (PUFA) of 64.3%. A percentage increase of approximately 9.2 % in the content of unsaturated fatty acids and a percentage reduction of 13.3% in the content of saturated fatty acids in relation to bleached fish oil was observed.
crystallization; fatty acids; fractionation
