ARS | Publication request: Purification of SoyScreen using critical carbon dioxide in a counter-current fractionation column

Submitted to: American Oil Chemists' Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 16, 2007
Publication Date: May 16, 2007
Citation: Eller, F.J., Taylor, S.L., Compton, D.L., Laszlo, J.A., Palmquist, D.E. 2007. Purification of SoyScreen using critical carbon dioxide in a counter-current fractionation column [abstract]. American Oil Chemists' Society Meeting. p. 132.

Technical Abstract: This research evaluated the use of critical carbon dioxide (CO2) in a counter-current fractionation column for purifying SoyScreen, a mixture of feruloylated glycerides. The process concept was tested using a mixture consisting of triacylglycerides (TAGs), ethyl ferulate and fatty acid ethyl esters in a 2:1:1 molar ratio approximating the enzymatic product mixture. The mixture was pumped down through the column (1.8 cm ID) while CO2 was pumped up the column. The composition of the extract in CO2 was monitored by in-line supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to determine when a steady-state was achieved and estimate the extract composition. The raffinate was analyzed separately by SFC to determine its purity. The effects of column length (60 and 120 cm), solvent:feed ratio (SFR) (3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 g:g) and total flow were examined. Raffinate purity (i.e., TAG%) was proportional to column length and inversely proportional to SFR. Using the 120 cm column, the raffinate was essentially pure (i.e., over 99% TAGs) with a SFR of 12, while a SFR of 24 was required to achieve this same purity using the 60 cm column. There was a minor decrease in the purity of the raffinate when the total flow was doubled.