SEED OIL EXTRACTION WITH SUPERCRITICAL CARBON-DIOXIDE MODIFIED WITH PENTANE

Soybean, wheat germ, sunflower and peanut oils were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide modified with pentane. The extractions were optimized by chemometric methods using as frontier limits; supercritical pressures of 50 to 150 atm, supercritical temperatures of 60 to 100 degrees C and extraction times of 5 to 15 min. The oils extracted with CO2/pentane were compared to those obtained through conventional extraction methods using hexane. Analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters and tocopherols and color intensity measurements carried out for the characterization of the oils extracted by CO2/pentane gave similar results to oils Soxhlet extracted with hexane.