The knowledge of the phase equilibrium is one of the most important factors to study the design of separation processes controlled by the equilibrium. Fatty acids are present in high concentration as by-products in vegetable oils but the equilibrium data involving these components is scarce. The objective of this work is the experimental determination of the liquid-vapor equilibrium of five binary different systems formed by carbon dioxide and palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1), linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3). The equilibrium experimental data was collected at 40, 60 and 80ºC at 60, 90 and 120 bar, at the extract and raffinate phases, using an experimental apparatus containing an extractor, a gas cylinder and pressure and temperature controllers. The data was modeled using the cubic equation of state of Peng-Robinson with the mixing rule of van der Waals with binary interaction parameters. The model was adequate to treat the experimental data at each temperature and at all the temperatures together. The best model that includes the van der Waals mixing rule with two parameters has maximum deviation of 17%. The distribution coefficients were also analyzed and it was concluded that the fractionation of the fatty acids is possible using supercritical carbon dioxide.
Fatty acids; Equilibrium data; Supercritical extraction; Carbon dioxide
