Modeling the extraction of carotene and lipids from pressed palm oil (Elaes guineensis) fibers using supercritical CO2

In this work a mathematical model to represent the kinetics of extraction of carotene and lipids from pressed palm oil (Elaes guineensis) fibers (PPOF) using supercritical CO2 is presented. The mass balance equation for the supercritical phase was solved analytically considering a pseudo steady-state. Specifically, the flux at the solid/fluid interface was initially considered constant and afterwards corrected using the dynamic behavior of the extract composition. Experimental data to test the model were obtained at pressures of 250 and 300 bar, temperatures of 45 and 55°C, and solvent flow rates of 1.2–2.0 g/min. The model represented well the experimental data at 45°C as well as the literature data obtained at 250 bar, 55°C and solvent flow rates of 18.9 g/min.