Purification of Vegetable Oils using Supercritical CO2. This work presents a study on the extraction of free fatty acids from crude soy and Brazil nut oils, using supercritical carbon dioxide. It was developed in two stages, at first moment we verified the possibility to extract free fatty acids from these oils and then the extraction conditions were evaluated at pressures changing between 50-140 bar and temperatures between 40-80oC during 40-160 minutes. It was concluded that it is possible to promote the deacidification of vegetable oils. Experimental data has shown that an increase in pressure produces a significant increase in extraction yield, but an increase in temperature is not so signifcant, and the extraction yield was not satisfactory, it was around 30% under 140 bar and 80oC to both oils. This process was optimized by degumming crude vegetable oils before the deacidification using supercritical carbon dioxide. The degumming was performed by through two different methods, one for hydratable gums and other for nonhydratable gums. Experimental data was obtained under 140 bar and 80oC during 40-160 minutes and showed that the degumming was really necessary before the deacidification in supercritical carbon dioxide. The extraction yield increased to around 57% for soy oil and 42% for Brazil nut oil. The best method of degumming must remove as much hydratables gums as nonhydratables gums. Finally we used cossolvent (ethanol 1-5% of oil weight) to aid in the extraction, and the extraction yield increased to around 65% to soy oil and 56% to Brazil nut oil, totally deggumed.
deacidification; supercritical carbon dioxide; vegetable oil
